OFFICE 


The  person  charging  this  material  is  re- 
sponsible for  its  return  to  the  library  from 
which  it  was  withdrawn  on  or  before  the 
Latest  Date  stamped  below. 

Theft,    mutilation,    and    underlining    of    books    are    reasons 

for   disciplinary    action    and    may    result    in    dismissal    from 

the  University. 

To  renew  call  Telephone  Center,  333-8400 

UNIVERSITY    OF    ILLINOIS    UBRAK1  At  U   BA#*rCHAMPAIGN 


JAN  0  3 
FEB  0  3  198 

**  2  3 1985 

JflN  1  4 1987 
OCT  2  9  IS9\ 


OCT  2  9  1991 

WW  2  8  1992 
9* 

091^94 
SEP  0  5  1994 


IQTE  STORAGE 


SEP  0  6  m 

tmi 

MAY 


mi 

AUG2 


42001 


L161—  O-1096 


ARCANA  COELESTIA 


THE 


HEAVENLY  ARCANA 


CONTAINED  IN  THE  HOLY  SCRIPTURE  OR  WORD  OF  THE  LORD 


UNFOLDED 


BEGINNING  WITH  THE  BOOK  OF  GENESIS 


TOGETHER  WITH  WONDERFUL  THINGS  SEEN  IN  THE  WORLD  OP 
SPIRITS  AND  IN  THE  HEAVEN  OF  ANGELS 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  LATIN  OF 

EMAKUEL    SWEDENBOEG 


THOROUGHLY  REVISED  AND  EDITED  BY  THE 

REV.  JOHN  FAULKNER  POTTS,  B.A.  LOKD. 


VOLUME  I. 


STANDARD  EDITION 


1941 
SWEDENBORG    FOUNDATION 

INCORPORATED 

NEW  YORK 


Organized  in  1850  as 
The  American  Swedenborg  Printing  and  Publishing  Society 


[INSCRIPTION  BY  THE  AUTHOR.] 

Seek  ye  first  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  His  righteousness,  and  all  these 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you  (Matt.  vi.  33). 


REMOTE  STORA 

i/,/ 

BQpKSTACKS  OLEiCE, 

PREFATORY   NOTES  BY   THE   REVISER. 


The  work  commonly  called  the  Arcana  Coelestia  was  origi- 
nally published  by  Emanuel  Swedenborg  in  London,  in  the 
years  1749  to  1756.      It  was  issued  in  eight  large  quarto 
"Parts,"   or   volumes,  and   was   written   in   Latin.      In   the 
'in     °riginal  Latin  the  work  has  been  once  reprinted  by  the  late 
en     Dr.  Jo.  Fr.  Immamiel  Tafel,  Librarian  of  the  University  of 
Tubingen,  who  issued  the  work  in  thirteen  octavo  volumes  in 
the  years  1833  to  1842.     To  this  edition  the  editor  added  a 
carefully  tabulated  list  of  the  errata  that  had  occurred  in  the 
«C      first  edition,  which  are  rather  numerous,  in  consequence  of 
the  author,  Swedenborg,  whose  residence  was  in  Stockholm, 
Z»      having  had  no  opportunity  to  revise  the  proof  sheets. 

At  the  instance  of  Swedenborg  himself  the  second  "Part" 
°r  volume  was  translated  into  English,  and  the  translation  so 
made  was  published  in  London  simultaneously  with  the  Latin 
\  Part  of  which  it  was  a  translation. 

^      With  this  exception   the  first  translation   of   the  Arcana 
i  Coelestia  was  the  work  of  the  Rev.  John  Clowes,  Rector  of 
y  St.  John's,  Manchester,  England,  and  was  published  in  London 
.  in  twelve  octavo  volumes,  in  the  years  1774  to  1806.     The 
work  has  since  been  translated  into  the  Swedish,  French,  and 
v  German  languages ;  and  in  English  has  appeared  in  numerous 
-  editions  consisting  for  the  most  part  of   revisions   and  re- 
.  revisions  of  the  translation  made  by  Clowes. 

A  perfectly  new  and  original  translation  into  English  was 
\^made  by  Mr.  George  Harrison,  of  Longlands,  near  Kendal, 
/England,  and  was  published  in  London  in  twelve  fine  octavo 
'  volumes  in  the  years  1857  to  1860 ;  but  although  the  work  of  an 
v  excellent  Latin  scholar,  and  valuable  for  critical  reference,  the 
•o  work  was  marred  by  editorial  linguistic  idiosyncrasies  of  such 
1   a  character  as  very  seriously  to  impair  its  general  usefulness. 
The   eleventh   volume   was   retranslated   by   Dr.   Rudolph 
' '  Leonard  Tafel,  and  was  published  in  London  in  the  year  1890. 


iv  PREFATORY   NOTES   BY   THE    REVISER 

The  first  complete  American  edition  was  published  in  Boston 
in  the  years  1837  to  1847,  in  twelve  volumes  octavo ;  and  was 
a  revision  made  on  the  basis  of  the  translation  of  Clowes  and 
his  revisers.  The  first  four  volumes  of  this  edition  were 
issued  by  the  "  Boston  Printing  Society,"  and  the  rest  of  the 
volumes  by  private  persons. 

The  second  American  edition  was  published  in  New  York 
in  ten  volumes  in  the  years  1853  to  1857,  by  "The  American 
Swedenborg  Printing  and  Publishing  Society,"  being  a  reprint 
of  the  current  English  edition. 

The  third  American  (or  "  Rotch")  edition  is  now  in  course 
of  publication  in  12rno.  Fifteen  volumes  have  already  been 
issued,  and  four  more  have  yet  to  appear.  The  first  nine 
volumes  were  published  in  New  York  with  the  imprint  of  the 
"New  Church  Board  of  Publication,"  and  the  remainder  are 
being  issued  in  Boston  with  that  of  the  "  Massachusetts  New 
Church  Union."  The  whole  of  the  plates  have  been  prepared 
at  the  cost  of  the  Kotch  legacy.  The  work  was  undertaken 
at  the  suggestion  of  the  Rev.  John  Worcester,  and  wholly 
under  his  direction.  A  set  of  rules  was  prepared  for  the 
guidance  of  the  various  workers,  and  volumes  were  assigned 
to  them  for  revision  (or  retranslation  if  they  so  chose  to  make 
it)  on  the  basis  of  the  old  Boston  Revision,  but  with  the  under- 
standing that  the  whole  would  be  revised  and  harmonized  by 
the  Director,  as  editor,  with  the  assistance  of  his  brother,  Mr. 
Benjamin  Worcester.  Up  to  the  present  time  the  revision  or 
retranslation  has  been  the  work  chiefly  of  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Mills  Warren,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Howard  Worcester,  the  Rev. 
Samuel  C.  Eby,  Mr.  A.  L.  Kip,  the  Rev.  Theodore  F.  Wright, 
Ph.D.,  and  the  Rev.  Horace  W.  Wright ;  but  as  the  work  of 
these  gentlemen  has  been  subjected  by  the  two  editors  to  most 
careful  and  uncompromising  revision,  they  cannot  fairly  be  held 
responsible  for  everything  that  exists  in  the  several  volumes 
or  portions  of  volumes  labored  on  by  them.  The  death  of  the 
Director  occurred  during  the  preparation  for  the  press  of  the 
thirteenth  volume ;  since  which  time  the  direction  of  the  work 
has  been  continued  in  the  hands  of  the  surviving  editor,  Mr. 
Benjamin  Worcester.  Although  under  the  circumstances  it 
was  perhaps  inevitable  that  the  work  should  display  consider- 


PREFATORY   NOTES   BY   THE   REVISER  y 

able  variety  of  style  and  excellence,  it  is  unquestionable  that 
the  volumes  of  this  edition  manifest  a  vast  amount  of  pains- 
taking and  valuable  labor,  and  the  present  Reviser  here  de- 
sires to  acknowledge  his  great  indebtedness  to  the  work  of 
the  Rotch  Translators  and  Editors. 

The  fourth  American  edition  is  that  of  which  the  first 
volume  is  now  before  the  reader,  and  it  claims  to  be  no  more 
than  a  revision  compiled  from  the  best  previous  translations 
and  revisions,  the  most  successful  renderings  of  which  have 
been  carefully  selected  in  conjunction  with  a  close  continuous 
comparison  with  the  original  Latin.  Nevertheless  new  trans- 
lation has  been  introduced  in  all  cases  in  which  no  previous 
satisfactory  rendering  of  words  or  passages  had  been  made. 

The  translation  of  the  group  of  words  that  includes  Cog- 
noscere,  Cognitio,  Scire,  Scientia,  Scientificum,  Scientificus,  and 
in  the  plural,  Scientifica,  presents  what  is  probably  the  great- 
est difficulty  that  is  encountered  by  the  translator  of  Sweden- 
borg's  theological  works.  Used  by  him  with  definite  and  dis- 
tinct meanings,  in  English  we  have  only  the  words  "Know" 
and  "  Knowledge"  wherewith  to  render  them,  for  "  Cognize" 
and  "  Cognition,"  and  "  Science"  and  "  Scientific"  are  by  no 
means  the  equivalents  of  the  corresponding  or  cognate  Latin 
words.  Yet  on  account  of  the  correspondential  distinctions, 
and  also  of  the  doctrinal  ideas,  involved,  it  is  imperative  that 
Swedenborg's  distinctive  use  of  these  Latin  words  should  in 
some  way  be  conveyed  to  the  English  reader. 

By  Scire,  Scientia,  and  Scientifica,  Swedenborg  indicates 
mere  memory-knowledge,  that  is,  the  knowledge  men  have  in 
the  external  memory  without  application  to  life  and  practice 
(see  his  definition  of  these  terms  in  Arcana  Coelestia,  n.  27, 
1486,  2718,  5212) ;  whereas  Cognoscere  and  Cognitio  are  used 
in  the  stronger  sense  of  actual  and  real  knowledge  of  the 
matter  in  question,  either  by  experience  or  in  some  other 
way ;  as  when  we  say,  "  I  do  not  think  so ;  I  KNOW  it." 
This  is  Cognoscere. 

An  interesting  example  of  the  peculiar  force  there  is  in  the 
former  class  of  words  is  Swedenborg's  expression  fides  scien- 
tifica.  To  render  this,  as  has  been  done,  "  scientific  faith"  may 
do  but  little  injury  to  the  learned  reader  who  is  able  to  think 


vi  PREFATORY   NOTES   BY   THE   REVISER 

in  Latin,  and  who  may  therefore  be  aware  that  it  is  a  mere 
faith  of  the  memory  that  is  meant ;  but  it  is  evident  that  with 
such  a  rendering  the  ordinary  reader  is  bound  to  go  far  and 
ludicrously  astray. 

Another  such  example  is  to  be  found  in  Swedenborg's  rather 
common  expression  Scientia  cognitionum,  used  in  connection 
with  the  Philistines,  and  usually  rendered  "  science  of  knowl- 
edges," and  in  the  Rotch  edition  "  learning  of  knowledges ;'' 
both  of  which  renderings  utterly  fail  to  convey  the  author's 
meaning,  which  is  simply  the  "  memory  -knowledge  of  knowl- 
edges ;"  that  is  to  say,  the  people  who  are  represented  by  the 
Philistines  are  those  who  store  up  knowledges  from  the  Word 
in  the  memory,  but  have  no  other  knowledge  of  them  than 
a  mere  memory-knowledge;  thus  have  not  the  knowledge  of 
them  that  comes  from  a  life  in  accordance  with  them.  A 
most  important  point ;  and  it  is  terrible  that  it  should  be  so 
completely  lost  from  view  as  has  been  the  case. 

The  same  remark  applies  to  the  signification  in  the  Word 
of  "Egypt."  Swedenborg's  definition  of  the  signification  of 
"Egypt"  is  Scientia,  or  Scientifica.  To  render  these  terms 
"science,"  and  " scientifics,"  is  attended  with  the  disastrous 
result  that  the  ordinary  reader  supposes  (and  even  preachers 
have  habitually  manifested  the  same  lamentable  ignorance) 
that  "  Egypt,"  as  mentioned  in  the  Word,  has  something  to  do 
with  science  as  generally  understood ;  and  thus  the  whole 
point  of  the  Divine  instruction  given  in  the  Word  in  connec- 
tion with  Egypt  and  the  Egyptians  is  completely  lost. 

In  the  present  Revision  of  the  "  Arcana"  an  effort  has  been 
made  to  translate  this  group  of  words  on  a  systematic  plan,  so 
as  to  indicate  to  the  English  reader  the  terminology  and  the 
meaning  that  exist  in  the  original  wherever  these  words  occur. 
To  this  end  the  following  renderings  have  been  adopted : — 

Cognitio,  Cognitiones  =  "  knowledge,"  "  knowledges." 

Scientia  (except  when  it  really  means  "  science")  =  "  mem- 
ory-knowledge." 

Scientiae,  Scientifica  =  "  memory-knowledges." 

The  Latin  words  have  also  been  given  in  parenthesis  wher- 
ever for  any  reason  this  seemed  to  be  called  for. 

J.  F.  P. 


AUTHOR'S  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS  OF  VOLUME  I. 


The  Heavenly  Arcana  which  have  been  unfolded  in  the 
Holy  Scripture  or  Word  of  the  Lord  are  contained  in  the 
Explication,  which  is  the  INTERNAL  SENSE  of  the  Word. 
What  the  nature  of  this  sense  is  may  be  seen  in  those  things 
which  have  been  shown  concerning  it  from  Experience  in 
numbers  1767  to  1777,  and  1869  to  1879 ;  and  also  in  the  con. 
text  (n.  1  to  5,  64  to  66,  167,  605,  920,  937,  1143,  1224,  1404, 
1405,  1408,  1409,  1502  at  the  end,  1540,  1659,  1756,  1783, 
1807). 

The  Wonderful  Things  which  have  been  seen  in  the  World 
of  Spirits  and  in  the  Heaven  of  Angels,  are  prefixed  and 
subjoined  to  the  several  chapters.  In  this  volume  are  the 
following :  — 

Concerning  the  Resuscitation  of  man  from  the  dead,  and 
his  entrance  into  eternal  life  (n.  168  to  181). 

Continuation  concerning  the  entrance  of  man  into  eternal 
life  (n.  182  to  189 ;  also  314  to  319). 

What  the  life  of  the  Soul  or  Spirit  then  is  (n.  320  to  323). 

Some  examples  from  Spirits  of  what  they  had  thought  in 
the  life  of  the  body  about  the  Soul  or  Spirit  (n.  443  to  448). 

Concerning  Heaven  and  Heavenly  Joy  (n.  449  to  459 ;  also 
537  to  546;  and  547  to  553). 

Concerning  the  Societies  which  constitute  Heaven  (n.  684 
to  691). 

Concerning  Hell  (n.  692  to  700). 

Concerning  the  Hells  of  those  who  have  passed  their  life 
in  Hatred,  Revenge,  and  Cruelty  (n.  814  to  823). 

Concerning  the  Hells  of  those  who  have  passed  their  life 
in  Adulteries  and  Lasciviousness ;  and  also  concerning  the 
Hells  of  the  Deceitful,  and  of  Sorceresses  (n.  824  to  831). 

Concerning  the  Hells  of  the  Avaricious ;  and  concerning 
the  Filthy  Jerusalem,  and  the  Robbers  in  the  Desert;  and 


viii      AUTHOR'S  TABLE   OF  CONTENTS  OF   VOLUME   I. 

also  concerning  the  excrementitious  Hells  of  those  who  have 
lived  in  mere  pleasures  (n.  938  to  946). 

Concerning  other  Hells  that  are  distinct  from  the  former 
(n.  947  to  970). 

Concerning  Vastations  (n.  1106  to  1113). 


NOTE. — The  figures  between  brackets  in  the  text  of  the  long  para- 
graphs indicate  the  subdivisions  arranged  for  the  Swedenborg  Concord- 
ance. 


THE 

BOOK    OF    GENESIS 


1.  From  the  mere  letter  of  the  Word  of  the  Old  Testament 
no  one  would  ever  discern  the  fact  that  this  part  of  the  Word 
contains  deep  secrets  of  heaven,  and  that  everything  within  it 
both  in  general  and  in  particular  bears  reference  to  the  Lord, 
to  His  heaven,  to  the  church,  to  religious  belief,  and  to  all 
things  connected  therewith ;  for  from  the  letter  or  sense  of  the 
letter  all  that  any  one  can  see  is  that — to  speak  generally — 
everything  therein  has  reference  merely  to  the  external  rites 
and    ordinances   of   the    Jewish    Church.     Yet   the  truth   is 
that  everywhere  in  that  Word  there  are  internal  things  which 
never  appear  at  all  in  the  external  things  except  a  very  few 
which  the  Lord  revealed  and  explained  to  the  Apostles ;  such 
as  that  the  sacrifices  signify  the  Lord ;  that  the  land  of  Canaan 
and  Jerusalem  signify  heaven — on  which  account  they  are 
called  the  Heavenly  Canaan  and  Jerusalem — and  that  Par- 
adise has  a  similar  signification. 

2.  The  Christian  world  however  is  as  yet  profoundly  una- 
ware of  the  fact  that  all  things  in  the  Word  both  in  general  and 
in  particular,  nay,  the  very  smallest  particulars  down  to  the 
most  minute  iota,  signify  and  enfold  within  them  spiritual 
and  heavenly  things,  and  therefore  the  Old  Testament  is  but 
little  cared  for.     Yet  that  the  Word  is  really  of  this  character 
might  be  known  from  the  single  consideration  that  being  the 
Lord's  and  from  the  Lord  it  must  of  necessity  contain  within 
it  such  things  as  belong  to  heaven,  to  the  church,  and  to  reli- 
gious belief,  and  that  unless  it  did  so  it  could  not  be  called  the 
Lord's  Word,  nor  could  fr  be  said  to  have  any  life  in  it.     For 
whence  comes  its  life  except  from  those  things  that  belong  to 

VOL.  L— 1 


2  GENESIS  [N.  2 

life,  that  is  to  say,  except  from  the  fact  that  everything  in  it 
both  hi  general  and  in  particular  bears  reference  to  the  Lord, 
who  is  the  very  Life  itself ;  so  that  anything  which  does  not 
inwardly  regard  Him  is  not  alive ;  and  it  may  be  truly  said 
that  any  expression  in  the  Word  that  does  not  enfold  Him 
within  it,  that  is,  which  does  not  in  its  own  way  bear  refer- 
ence to  Him,  is  not  Divine. 

3.  Without  such  a  Life,  the  Word  as  to  the  letter  is  dead. 
The  case  in  this  respect  is  the  same  as  it  is  with  man,  who — as 
is  known  in  the   Christian  world — is   both  internal  and  ex- 
ternal.    When  separated  from  the  internal  man,  the  external 
man  is  the  body,  and  is  therefore  dead ;  for  it  is  the  internal 
man  that  is  alive  and  that  causes  the  external  man  to  be  so, 
the  internal  man  being  the  soul.     So  is  it  with  the  Word, 
which,  in  respect  to  the  letter  alone,  is  like  the  body  without 
the  soul. 

4.  While  the  mind  cleaves  to  the  literal  sense  alone,  no  one 
can  possibly  see  that  such   things   are   contained  within  it. 
Thus  in  these  first  chapters  of  Genesis,  nothing  is  discoverable 
from  the  sense  of  the  letter  other  than  that  the  creation  of  the 
world  is  treated  of,  and  the  garden  of  Eden  which  is  called 
Paradise,  and  Adam  as  the  first  created  man.     Who  supposes 
anything  else  ?     But  it  will  be  sufficiently  established  in  the 
following  pages  that  these  matters  contain  arcana  which  have 
never  yet  been  revealed ;  and  in  fact  that  the  first  chapter  of 
Genesis  in  the  internal  sense  treats  in  general  of   the  new 
creation  of  man,  or  of  his  regeneration,  and  specifically  of  the 
Most  Ancient  Church ;  and  this  in  such  a  manner  that  there 
is  not  the  least  expression  which  does  not  represent,  signify, 
and  enfold  within  it  these  things. 

5.  That  this  is  really  the  case  no  one  can  possibly  know 
except  from  the  Lord.     It  may  therefore  be  stated  in  advance 
that  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  it  has  been  granted  me  now 
for  some  years  to  be  constantly  and  uninterruptedly  in  company 
with  spirits  and  angels,  hearing  them  speak  and  in  turn  speak- 
ing with  them.     In  this  way  it  has  been  given  me  to  hear  and 


N.  5]  CHAPTER   I.  3 

see  wonderful  things  in  the  other  life  which  have  never  before 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  any  man,  nor  into  his  idea.  I  have 
been  instructed  in  regard  to  the  different  kinds  of  spirits  ;  the 
state  of  souls  after  death ;  hell,  or  the  lamentable  state  of  the 
unfaithful ;  heaven,  or  the  blessed  state  of  the  faithful ;  and 
especially  in  regard  to  the  doctrine  of  faith  which  is  acknowl- 
edged in  the  universal  heaven ;  on  which  subjects,  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  mercy,  more  will  be  said  in  the  following  pages. 


CHAPTER   I. 

1.*  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth. 

2.  And  the  earth  was  a  void  and  emptiness,  and  thick  dark- 
ness was  upon  the  faces  of  the  deep.     And  the  Spirit  of  God 
moved  upon  the  faces  of  the  waters. 

3.  And  God  said,  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light. 

4.  And  God  saw  the  light,  that  it  was  good ;  and  God  dis- 
tinguished between  the  light  and  the  darkness. 

5.  And  God  called  the  light  day,  and  the  darkness  He  called 
night.     And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  first  day. 

6.  And  God  said,  Let  there  be  an  expanse  in  the  midst  of 
the  waters,  and  let  it  distinguish  between  the  waters  in  the 
waters. 

7.  And  God  made  the  expanse,  and  made  a  distinction  be- 
tween the  waters  which  were  under  the  expanse,  and  the  waters 
which  were  above  the  expanse ;  and  it  was  so. 

8.  And  God  called  the  expanse  heaven.     And  the  evening 
and  the  morning  were  the  second  day. 

9.  And  God  said,  Let   the  waters  under  the   heaven   be 
gathered  together  in  one  place,  and  let  the  dry  [land]  appear ; 
and  it  was  so. 

•  The  Author,  writing  in  Latin,  has  given  his  own  translation,  in  that  language, 
of  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  texts  of  the  Word,  in  which,  for  the  sake  of  the  spiritual 
sense,  he  has  rendered  the  originals  almost  as  literally  as  possible,  and  it  has  been 
deemed  necessary  to  follow  him  in  this  translation  of  the  present  work  into  Eng- 
lish, but  with  the  endeavor  to  avoid  any  needless  departure  from  the  language  of 
the  English  Bible.  [REVISER.] 


4  GENESIS  [N.  5 

10.  And  God  called  the  dry  [land]  earth,  and  the  gathering 
together  of  the  waters  called  He  seas  ;  and  God  saw  that  it  was 
good. 

11.  And  God  said,  Let  the  earth  bring  forth  the  tender  herb, 
the  herb  yielding  seed,  and  the  fruit-tree  bearing  fruit  after 
its  kind,  whose  seed  is  in  itself,  upon  the  earth ;  and  it  was  so. 

12.  And  the  earth  brought  forth  the  tender  herb,  the  herb 
yielding  seed  after  its  kind,  and  the  tree  bearing  fruit,  whose 
seed  was  in  itself,  after  its  kind ;  and  God  saw  that  it  was  good. 

13.  And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  third  day. 

14.  And  God  said,  Let  there  be  luminaries  in  the  expanse 
of  the  heavens,  to  distinguish  between  the  day  and  the  night ; 
and  let  them  be  for  signs,  and  for  seasons,  and  for  days,  and 
for  years. 

15.  And  let  them  be  for  luminaries  in  the  expanse  of  the 
heavens  to  give  light  upon  the  earth ;  and  it  was  so. 

16.  And  God  made  two  great  luminaries,  the  greater  lumi- 
nary to  rule  by  day,  and  the  lesser  luminary  to  rule  by  night ; 
and  the  stars. 

17.  And  God  set  them  in  the  expanse  of  the  heavens,  to  give 
light  upon  the  earth  ; 

18.  And  to  rule  in  the  day,  and  in  the  night,  and  to  dis- 
tinguish between  the  light  and  the  darkness  ;  and  God  saw  that 
it  was  good. 

19.  And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  fourth  day. 

20.  And  God  said,  Let  the  waters  cause  to  creep  forth  the 
creeping  thing,  the  living  soul ;  and  let  fowl  fly  above  the  earth 
upon  the  faces  of  the  expanse  of  the  heavens. 

21.  And  God  created  great  whales,  and  every  living  soul 
that  creepeth,  which  the  waters  caused  to  creep  forth  after  their 
kinds,  and  every  winged  fowl  after  its  kind ;  and  God  saw  that 
it  was  good. 

22.  And  God  blessed  them,  saying,  Be  fruitful  and  multiply, 
and  fill  the  waters  in  the  seas,  and  the  fowl  shall  be  multiplied 
in  the  earth. 

23.  And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  fifth  day. 

24.  And  God  said,  Let  the  earth  bring  forth  the  living  soul 
after  its  kind ;  the  beast,  and  the  thing  moving  itself,  and  the 
wild  animal  of  the  earth,  after  its  kind ;  and  it  was  so. 


N.  6]  CHAPTER   I.  5 

25.  And  God  made  the  wild  animal  of  the  earth  after  its 
kind,  and  the  beast  after  its  kind,  and  everything  that  creepeth 
on  the  ground  after  its  kind ;  and  God  saw  that  it  was  good. 

26.  And  God  said,  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our 
likeness ;  and  let  them  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea, 
and  over  the  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  over  the  beast,  and  over 
all  the  earth,  and  over  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon 
the  earth. 

27.  And  God  created  man  in  His  own  image,  in  the  image 
of  God  created  He  him ;  male  and  female  created  He  them. 

28.  And  God  blessed  them,  and  God  said  unto  them,  Be 
fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish  the  earth,  and  subdue  it  j 
and  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl 
of  the  heavens,  and  over  every  living  thing  that  creepeth  upon 
the  earth. 

29.  And  God  said,  Behold,  I  give  you  every  herb  bearing 
seed  which  is  upon  the  faces  of  all  the  earth,  and  every  tree  in 
which  is  fruit ;  the  tree  yielding  seed,  to  you  it  shall  be  for 
food. 

30.  And  to  every  wild  animal  of  the  earth,  and  to  every 
fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  to  everything  that  creepeth  upon  the 
earth  wherein  is  a  living  soul,  every  green  herb  for  food ;  arid 
it  was  so. 

31.  And  God  saw  everything  that  He  had  made,  and  behold 
it  was  very  good.     And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the 
sixth  day. 


THE  CONTENTS. 

6.  The  six  days,  or  periods,  which  are  so  many  successive 
states  of  the  regeneration  of  man,  are  in  general  as  follows. 

7.  The  first  state  is  that  which  precedes,  including  both  the 
state  from  infancy,  and  that  immediately  before  regeneration. 
This  is  called  a  "void,"  "emptiness,"  and  "thick  darkness." 
And  the  first  motioii,  which  is   the  Lord's    mercy,  is   "the 
Spirit  of  God  moving  upon  the  faces  of  the  waters." 

8.  The  second  state  is  when  a  distinction  is  made  between 
those  things  which  are  of  the  Lord,  and  those  which  are  proper 


6  GENESIS  [N.  8 

to  man.  The  things  which  are  of  the  Lord  are  called  in  the 
Word  "  remains,"  and  here  are  especially  knowledges  of  faith, 
which  have  been  learned  from  infancy,  and  which  are  stored 
up,  and  are  not  manifested  until  the  man  comes  into  this  state. 
At  the  present  day  this  state  seldom  exists  without  temptation, 
misfortune,  or  sorrow,  by  which  the  things  of  the  body  and  the 
world,  that  is,  such  as  are  proper  to  man,  are  brought  into  qui- 
escence, and  as  it  were  die.  Thus  the  things  which  belong  to 
the  external  man  are  separated  from  those  which  belong  to  the 
internal  man.  In  the  internal  man  are  the  remains,  stored  up 
by  the  Lord  unto  this  time,  and  for  this  use. 

9.  The  third  state  is  that  of  repentance,  in  which  the  man, 
from  his  internal  man,  speaks  piously  and  devoutly,  and  brings 
forth  goods,  like  works  of  charity,  but  which  nevertheless  are 
inanimate,  because  he  thinks  they  are  from  himself.     These 
goods  are  called  the  "  tender  grass,"  and  also  the  "  herb  yield- 
ing seed,"  and  afterwards  the  "  tree  bearing  fruit." 

10.  The  fourth  state  is  when  the  man  becomes  affected 
with  love,  and  illuminated  by  faith.     He  indeed  previously 
discoursed  piously,  and  brought  forth  goods,  but  he  did  so  in 
consequence  of  the  temptation  and  straitness  under  which  he 
labored,  and  not  from  faith  and  charity ;  wherefore  faith  and 
charity  are  now  enkindled  in  his  internal  man,  and  are  called 
two  "  luminaries." 

11.  The  fifth  state  is  when  the  man  discourses  from  faith, 
and  thereby  confirms  himself  in  truth  and  good :  the  things 
then  produced  by  him  are  animatej  and  are  called  the  "  fish  of 
the  sea,"  and  the  "  birds  of  the  heavens." 

12.  The  sixth  state  is  when,  from  faith,  and  thence  from  love, 
he  speaks  what  is  true,  and  does  what  is  good  :  the  things  which 
he  then  brings   forth  are  called  the  "living  soul"  and  the 
"  beast."     And  as  he  then  begins  to  act  at  once  and  together 
from  both  faith  and  love,  he  becomes  a  spiritual  man,  who  is 
called  an  "image."     His  spiritual  life  is  delighted  and  sus- 
tained by  such  things  as  belong  to  the  knowledges  of  faith, 
and  to  works  of  charity,  which  are  calledthis  "  food  ;"  and  his 
natural  life  is  delighted  and  sustained  by  those  which  belong 
to  the  body  and  the  senses  ;  whence  a  combat  arises,  until  love 
gains  the  dominion,  and  he  becomes  a  celestial  man. 


N.  13]  CONTENTS  7 

13.  Those  who  are  being  regenerated  do  not  all  arrive  at  this 
state.  The  greatest  part,  at  this  day,  attain  only  the  first 
state  ;  some  only  the  second ;  others  the  third,  fourth,  or  fifth ; 
few  the  sixth ;  and  scarcely  any  one  the  seventh. 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

14.  In  the  following  work,  by  the  name  LORD  is  meant  the 
Saviour  of  the  world,  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  only ;  and  He 
is  called  "  the  Lord"  without  the  addition  of  other  names. 
Throughout  the  universal  heaven  He  it  is  who  is  acknowledged 
and  adored  as  Lord,  because  He  has  all  sovereign  power  in  the 
heavens  and  on  earth.     He  also  commanded  His  disciples  so  to 
call  Him,  saying,  "  Ye  call  Me  Lord,  and  ye  say  well,  for  I  am" 
(John  xiii.  13).    And  after  His  resurrection  His  disciples  called 
Him  "the  Lord." 

15.  In  the  universal  heaven  they  know  no  other  Father  than 
the  Lord,  because  He  and  the  Father  are  one,  as  He  Himself 
has  said : — 

I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life.  Philip  saith,  Show  us  the 
Father ;  Jesus  saith  to  him,  Am  I  so  long  time  with  you,  and  hast  thou 
not  known  Me,  Philip  ?  he  that  hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father ;  how 
sayest  thou  then,  Show  us  the  Father  ?  believest  thou  not  that  I  am  in 
the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  Me  ?  believe  Me  that  I  am  in  the  Father 
and  the  Father  in  Me  (John  xiv.  6,  8-11). 

16.  Verse  1.  In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  (coelum) 
and  the  earth.      The  most  ancient  time  is  called  "the  begin- 
ning."    By  the  prophets  it  is  in  various  places  called  the  "  days 
of  old  (antiquitotis*)"  and  also  the  "days  of  eternity."     The 
"  beginning"  also  involves  the  first  period  when  man  is  being 
regenerated,  for  he  is  then  born  anew,  and  receives  life.     Re- 
generation itself  is  therefore  called  a  "  new  creation"  of  man. 
The  expressions  to  "  create,"  to  "  form,"  to  "  make,"  in  almost 
all  parts  of  the  prophetic  writings  signify  to  regenerate,  yet 
with  a  difference  in  the  signification.     As  in  Isaiah : — 

Every  one  that  is  called  by  My  name,  I  have  created  him  for  My  glory, 
I  have  formed  him,  yea,  I  have  made  him  (xliii.  7). 


8  GENESIS  [N.  16 

And  therefore  the  Lord  is  called  the  "  Redeemer,"  the  "  Former 
from  the  womb,"  the  "  Maker,"  and  also  the  "  Creator ;"  as  in 
the  same  Prophet : — 

I  am  Jehovah  your  Holy  One,  the  Creator  of  Israel,  your  King  (xliii.  16). 

In  David: — 

The  people  that  is  created  shall  praise  Jah  (Ps.  cii.  18). 

Again : — 

Thou  sendest  forth  Thy  spirit,  they  are  created,  and  Thou  renewest 
the  faces  of  the  ground  (Ps.  civ.  30). 

That  "  heaven"  signifies  the  internal  man ;  and  "  earth"  the 
external  man  before  regeneration,  may  be  seen  from  what 
follows. 

17.  Verse  2.   And  the  earth  was  a  void  and  emptiness,  and 
darkness  ivas  upon  the  faces  of  the  deep  (abyssi)  ;  and  the  Spirit 
of  God  was  brooding  upon  the  faces  of  the  waters.     Before  his 
regeneration,  man  is  called  the  "  earth  void  and  empty,"  and 
also  the  "  ground"  wherein  nothing  of  good  and  truth  has  been 
sown ;  "  void"  denotes  where  there  is  nothing  of  good,  and 
"  empty"  where  there  is  nothing  of  truth.    Hence  comes  "  thick 
darkness,"  that  is,  stupidity,  and  an  ignorance  of    all  things 
belonging  to  faith  in  the  Lord,  and  consequently  of  all  things 
belonging  to  spiritual  and  heavenly  life.     Such  a  man  is  thus 
described  by  the  Lord  through  Jeremiah : — 

My  people  is  stupid,  they  have  not  known  Me  ;  they  are  foolish  sons, 
and  are  not  intelligent ;  they  are  wise  to  do  evil,  but  to  do  good  they 
have  no  knowledge.  I  beheld  the  earth,  and  lo  a  void  and  emptiness, 
and  the  heavens,  and  they  had  no  light  (iv.  22,  23). 

18.  The  "  faces  of  the  deep"  are  the  cupidities  of  the  unre- 
generate  man,  and  the  falsities  thence  originating,  of  which  he 
wholly  consists,  and  in  which  he  is  totally  immersed.     In  this 
state,  having  no  light,  he  is  like  a  "  deep,"  or  something  obscure 
and  confused.      Such  persons  are  also  called  "deeps,"  and 
"depths  of  the  sea,"  in  many  parts  of  the  Word,  which  are 
u  dried  up,"  or  "  wasted,"  before  man  is  regenerated.     As  in 
Isaiah : — 

Awake  as  in  the  ancient  days,  hi  the  generations  of  old.  Art  not  thou 
it  that  drieth  up  the  sea,  the  waters  of  the  great  deep,  that  maketh  the 


N.  18J  CHAPTER  I.  VER.  2  9 

depths  of  the  sea  a  way  for  the  ransomed  to  pass  over  ?  Therefore  the 
redeemed  of  Jehovah  shall  return  (li.  9-11). 

Such  a  man  also,  when  seen  from  heaven,  appears  like  a  black 
mass,  destitute  of  vitality.  The  same  expressions  likewise  in 
general  involve  the  vastation  of  man,  frequently  spoken  of  by 
the  Prophets,  which  precedes  regeneration ;  for  before  man  can 
know  what  is  true,  and  be  affected  with  what  is  good,  there 
must  be  a  removal  of  such  things  as  hinder  and  resist  their 
admission ;  thus  the  old  man  must  needs  die,  before  the  new 
man  can  be  conceived. 

19.  By  the  "Spirit  of  God"  is  meant  the  Lord's  mercy,  which 
is  said  to  "  move,"  or  "  brood,"  as  a  hen  broods  over  her  eggs. 
The  things  over  which  it  moves  are  such  as  the  Lord  has 
hidden  and  treasured  up  in  man,  which  in  the  Word  through- 
out are  called  remains  or  a  remnant,  consisting  of  the  knowl- 
edges of  the  true  and  of  the  good,  which  never  come  into  light 
or  day,  until  external  things  are  vastated.      These  knowledges 
are  here  called  "  the  faces  of  the  waters." 

20.  Verse  3.  And  God  said,  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was 
light.     The  first  state  is  when  the  man  begins  to  know  that  the 
good  and  the  true  are  something  higher.     Men  who  are  alto- 
gether external  do  not  even  know  what  good  and  truth  are ; 
for  they  fancy  all  things  to  be  good  that  belong  to  the  love  of 
self  and  the  love  of  the  world ;  and  all  things  to  be  true  that 
favor  these  loves ;  not  being  aware  that  such  goods  are  evils, 
and  such  truths  falsities.     But  when  man  is  conceived  anew,  he 
then  begins  for  the  first  time  to  know  that  his  goods  are  not 
goods,  and  also,  as  he  comes  more  into  the  light,  that  the  Lord 
is,  and  that  He  is  good  and  truth  itself.     That  men  ought  to 
know  that  the  Lord  is,  He  Himself  teaches  in  John : — 

Except  ye  believe  that  I  am,  ye  shall  die  in  your  sins  (viii.  24). 

Aiso,  that  the  Lord  is  good  itself,  or  life,  and  truth  itself,  or 
light,  and  consequently  that  there  is  neither  good  nor  truth 
except  from  the  Lord,  is  thus  declared  : — 

In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  God 
was  the  Word.  All  things  were  made  by  Him,  and  without  Him  was  not 
anything  made  that  was  made.  In  Him  was  life,  and  the  life  was  the 
light  of  men.  And  the  light  shineth  in  darkness.  He  was  the  true  light, 
which  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world  (John  i.  1,  3,  4,  9). 


10  GENESIS  [N.  21 

21.  Verses  4,  5.  And  God  saw  the  light,  that  it  was  good,  and 
God  distinguished  between  the  light  and  the  darkness.     And  God 
called  the  light  day,  and  the  darkness  He  called  night.     Light  is 
called  "  good,"  because  it  is  from  the  Lord,  who  is  good  itself. 
The  "darkness"  means  all  those  things  which,  before  man  is 
conceived  and  born  anew,  have  appeared  like  light,  because  evil 
has  appeared  like  good,  and  the  false  like  the  true ;  yet  they 
are  darkness,  consisting  merely  of  the  things  proper  to  man 
himself,  which  still  remain.     Whatsoever  is  of  the  Lord  is  com- 
pared to  "  day,"  because  it  is  of  the  light ;  and  whatsoever  is 
man's  own  is  compared  to  "  night,"  because  it  is  of  darkness. 
These  comparisons  frequently  occur  in  the  Word. 

22.  Verse  5.  And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  first 
day.     What  is  meant  by  "  evening,"  and  what  by  "  morning," 
can  now  be  discerned.    "  Evening"  means  every  preceding  state, 
because  it  is  a  state  of  shade,  or  of  falsity  and  of  no  faith ; 
"  morning"  is  every  subsequent  state,  being  one  of  light,  or  of 
truth  and  of  the  knowledges  of  faith.     "  Evening,"  in  a  general 
sense,  signifies  all  things  that  are  of  man's  own ;  but  "  morn- 
ing," whatever  is  of  the  Lord,  as  is  said  through  David : — 

The  spirit  of  Jehovah  spake  in  me,  and  His  word  was  on  my  tongue  ; 
the  God  of  Israel  said,  the  Rock  of  Israel  spake  to  me  ;  He  is  as  the  light 
of  the  morning,  when  the  sun  ariseth,  even  a  morning  without  clouds, 
when  from  brightness,  from  rain,  the 'tender  herb  springeth  out  of  the 
earth  (2  Sam.  xxiii.  2-4). 

As  it  is  "  evening"  when  there  is  no  faith,  and  "  morning"  when 
there  is  faith,  therefore  the  coming  of  the  Lord  into  the  world 
is  called  "  morning ;"  and  the  time  when  He  comes,  because 
then  there  is  no  faith,  is  called  "  evening,"  as  in  Daniel : — 

The  Holy  One  said  unto  me,  Even  unto  evening  when  it  becomes 
morning,  two  thousand  and  three  hundred  (viii.  14,  26). 

In  like  manner  "  morning"  is  used  in  the  Word  to  denote  every 
coming  of  the  Lord,  consequently  it  is  an  expression  of  new 
creation. 

23.  Nothing  is  more  common  in  the  Word  than  for  "  day" 
to  be  used  to  denote  time  itself.     As  in  Isaiah : — 

The  day  of  Jenovah  is  at  hand.  Behold,  the  day  of  Jehovah  cometh 
I  will  shake  the  heavens,  and  the  earth  shall  be  shaken  out  of  her  place, 


N.  23]  CHAPTER   I.  VER.  5  11 

in  the  day  of  the  wrath  of  Mine  anger.     Her  time  is  near  to  come,  and 
her  days  shall  not  be  prolonged  (xiii.  6,  9,  13,  22). 

And  in  the  same  Prophet : — 

Her  antiquity  is  of  ancient  days.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that 
day  that  Tyre  shall  be  forgotten  seventy  years,  according  to  the  days  of 
one  king  (xxiii.  7,  15). 

As  "  day"  is  used  to  denote  time,  it  is  also  used  to  denote  the 
state  of  that  time,  as  in  Jeremiah : — 

Woe  unto  us,  for  the  day  is  gone  down,  for  the  shadows  of  the  evening 
are  stretched  out  (vi.  4). 

And  again : — 

If  ye  shall  make  vain  My  covenant  of  the  day,  and  My  covenant  of 
the  night,  so  that  there  be  not  day  and  night  in  their  season  (xxxiii.  20, 
also  25). 

And  again : — 

Renew  our  days,  as  of  old  (Lam.  v.  21). 

24.  Verse  6.  And  God  said,  Let  there  be  an  expanse  in  the 
)nidst  of  the  waters,  and  let  it  distinguish  between  the  waters  in  the 
waters.  After  the  spirit  of  God,  or  the  Lord's  mercy,  has 
brought  forth  into  day  the  knowledges  of  the  true  and  of  the 
good,  and  has  given  the  first  light,  that  the  Lord  is,  that  He 
is  good  itself,  and  truth  itself,  and  that  there  is  no  good  and 
truth  but  from  Him,  He  then  makes  a  distinction  between  the 
internal  man  and  the  external,  consequently  between  the  knowl- 
edges (eognitwnes)  that  are  in  the  internal  man,  and  the  memory- 
knowledges  (scientifica)  that  belong  to  the  external  man.*  The 
internal  man  is  called  an  "  expanse ;"  the  knowledges  (cogni- 
tiones)  which  are  in  the  internal  man  are  called  "the  waters 
above  the  expanse ;"  and  the  memory -knowledges  of  the  external 
man  are  called  "  the  waters  beneath  the  expanse."  [2]  Man, 
before  he  is  being  regenerated,  does  not  even  know  that  any 
internal  man  exists,  much  less  is  he  acquainted  with  its  nature 

*  Knowledges  (cognitiones)  are  what  we  really  know,  as  when  we  say  "  I  do  not 
merely  think  so,  I  know  it."  Memory-knowledges  (scientifica)  are  what  we  have 
in  the  external  memory — a  vast  accumulation  of  all  kinds,  theological  and  other- 
wise. For  precise  definitions  of  these  words  by  Swedenborg  himself,  see  Arcana 
Coelestia,  n.  27  89C,  1486,  2718,  5212.  See  also  the  Reviser's  Prefatory  Notes.  [RE- 
VISER.] 


12  GENESIS  [N.  24 

and  quality.  He  supposes  the  internal  and  the  external  man 
to  be-  not  distinct  from  each  other.  For,  being  immersed  in 
bodily  and  worldly  things,  he  has  also  immersed  in  them  the 
things  that  belong  to  his  internal  man,  and  has  made  of  things 
that  are  distinct  a  confused  and  obscure  unit.  Therefore  it 
is  first  said,  "  Let  there  be  an  expanse  in  the  midst  of  the 
waters,"  and  then,  "  Let  it  distinguish  between  the  waters  in  the 
waters ;"  but  not,  Let  it  distinguish  between  the  waters  which 
are  "  under"  the  expanse  and  the  waters  which  are  "  above" 
the  expanse,  as  is  afterwards  said  in  the  next  verses : — 

And  God  made  the  expanse,  and  made  a  distinction  between  the  waters 
which  were  under  the  expanse,  and  the  waters  which  were  above  the  ex- 
panse ;  and  it  was  so.  And  God  called  the  expanse  heaven  (verses  7,  8). 

[3]  The  next  thing  therefore  that  man  observes  in  the  course 
of  regeneration  is  that  he  begins  to  know  that  there  is  an  in- 
ternal man,  or  that  the  things  which  are  in  the  internal  man 
are  goods  and  truths,  which  are  of  the  Lord  alone.  Now  as 
the  external  man,  when  being  regenerated,  is  of  such  a  nature 
that  he  still  supposes  the  goods  that  he  does  to  be  done  of  him- 
self, and  the  truths  that  he  speaks  to  be  spoken  of  himself, 
and  whereas,  being  such,  he  is  led  by  them  of  the  Lord,  as  by 
things  of  his  own,  to  do  what  is  good  and  to  speak  what  is  true, 
therefore  mention  is  first  made  of  a  distinction  of  the  waters 
under  the  expanse,  and  afterwards  of  those  above  the  expanse. 
It  is  also  an  arcanum  of  heaven,  that  man,  by  things  of  his 
own,  as  well  by  the  fallacies  of  the  senses  as  by  cupidities, 
is  led  and  bent  by  the  Lord  to  things  that  are  true  and  good, 
and  thus  that  every  movement  and  moment  of  regeneration, 
both  in  general  and  in  particular,  proceeds  from  evening  to 
morning,  thus  from  the  external  man  to  the  internal,  or  from 
"  earth"  to  "  heaven."  Therefore  the  expanse,  or  internal  man, 
is  now  called  "  heaven." 

25.  To  "spread  out  the  earth  and  stretch  out  the  heavens," 
is  a  common  form  of  speaking  with  the  Prophets,  when  treat- 
ing of  the  regeneration  of  man.  As  in  Isaiah : — 

Thus  saith  Jehovah  thy  Redeemer,  and  He  that  formed  thee  from  the 
womb  ;  I  am  Jehovah  that  maketh  all  things,  that  stretcheth  forth  the 
heavens  alone,  that  spreadeth  abroad  the  earth  by  Myself  (xliv,  24). 


N.  25]  CHAPTER  I.  VERS.  6,  7  13 

And  again,  where  the  advent  of  the  Lord  is  openly  spoken  of : — 

A  bruised  reed  shall  He  not  break,  and  the  smoking  flax  shall  He  not 
quench  ;  He  shall  bring  forth  judgment  unto  truth  ; 

that  is,  He  does  not  break  fallacies,  nor  quench  cupidities,  but 
bends  them  to  what  is  true  and  good ;  and  therefore  it  follows, 

Jehovah  God  createth  the  heavens,  and  stretcheth  them  out ;  He 
spreadeth  out  the  earth,  and  the  productions  thereof  ;  He  giveth  breath 
unto  the  people  upon  it,  and  spirit  to  them  that  walk  therein  (xlii.  3-5). 

Not  to  mention  other  passages  to  the  same  purport. 

26.  Verse  8.  And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  second 
day.     The  meaning  of  "  evening,"  of  "  morning,"  and  of  "  day," 
was  shown  above  at  verse  5. 

27.  Verse  9.  And  God  said,  Let  the  waters  under  the  heaven 
be  gathered    together  to  one  place,  and    let   the  dry  [land~\  ap- 
pear;  and  it  was  so.     When  it  is  known  that  there  is  both 
an  internal  and  an  external  man,  and  that  truths  and  goods 
flow  in  from,  or  through,  the  internal  man  to  the  external,  from 
the  Lord,  although  it  does  not  so  appear,  then  those  truths  and 
goods,  or  the  knowledges  of  the  true  and  the  good  in  the  re- 
generating man,  are  stored  up  in  his  memory,  and  are  classed 
among  its  knowledges  (scientiftca) ;  for  whatsoever  is  insinu- 
ated into  the  memory  of  the  external  man,  whether  it  be  natu- 
ral, or  spiritual,  or  celestial,  abides  there  as  memory -knowledge 
(wientificitin),  and  is  brought  forth  thence  by  the  Lord.    These 
knowledges  are  the  "  waters  gathered  together  into  one  place," 
and  are  called  "  seas,"  but  the  external  man  himself  is  called 
the  "  dry  [land],"  and  presently  "  earth,"  as  in  what  follows. 

28.  Verse  10.  And  God  called  the  dry  [land~\  earth,  and  the 
gathering  together  of  the  waters  called  He  seas  ;  and  God  saw  that 
it  was  good.     It  is  a  very  common   thing  in  the  Word  for 
"  waters"  to  signify  knowledges  (eognitiones  et  scientificd),  and 
consequently  for  "  seas"  to  signify  a  collection  of  knowledges. 
As  in  Isaiah  : — 

The  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  (scientia)  of  Jehovah,  as  the 
waters  cover  the  sea  (xi.  9). 

And  in  the  same  Prophet,  where  a  lack  of  knowledges  (cogniti- 
onum  et  scientificorum)  is  treated  of : — 


14  GENESIS  [N.  28 

The  waters  shall  fail  from  the  sea,  and  the  river  shall  be  dried  up  and 
become  utterly  dry,  and  the  streams  shall  recede  (xix.  5,  6). 

In  Haggai,  speaking  of  a  new  church : — 

I  will  shake  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  the  sea  and  the  dry 
[land] ;  and  I  will  shake  all  nations  ;  and  the  desire  of  all  nations  shall 
come,  and  I  will  till  this  house  with  glory  (ii.  6,  7). 

And  concerning  man  in  the  process  of  regeneration,  in  Zecha- 
riah : — 

There  shall  be  one  day,  it  is  known  to  Jehovah  ;  not  day,  nor  night ; 
but  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  at  evening  time  it  shall  be  light ;  and  it 
shall  be  in  that  day  that  living  waters  shall  go  out  from  Jerusalem,  part 
of  them  toward  the  eastern  sea,  and  part  of  them  toward  the  hinder  sea 
(xiv.  7,  8). 

David  also,  describing  a  vastated  man  who  is  to  be  regenerated 
and  who  will  worship  the  Lord  : — 

Jehovah  despiseth  not  His  prisoners ;  let  the  heavens  and  the  earth 
praise  Him,  the  seas  and  everything  that  creepeth  therein  (Ps.  Ixix.  33, 34). 

That  the  "  earth"  signifies  a  recipient,  appears  from  Zecha- 
riah : — 

Jehovah  stretcheth  forth  the  heavens,  and  layeth  the  foundation  of 
the  earth,  and  formeth  the  spirit  of  man  in  the  midst  of  him  (xii.  1). 

29.  Verses  11,  12.  And  God  said,  Let  the  earth  bring  forth 
the  tender  herb,  the  herb  yielding  seed,  and  the  fruit-tree  bearing 
fruit  after  its  kind,  whose  seed  is  in  itself,  upon  the  earth  ;  and 
it  was  so.  And  the  earth  brought  forth  the  tender  herb,  the  herb 
yielding  seed  after  its  kind,  and  the  tree  bearing  fruit,  ivliose 
seed  was  in  itself,  after  its  kind  ;  and  God  saiv  that  it  was  good. 
When  the  "  earth,"  or  man,  has  been  thus  prepared  to  receive 
celestial  seeds  from  the  Lord,  and  to  produce  something  of 
what  is  good  and  true,  then  the  Lord  first  causes  some  tender 
thing  to  spring  forth,  which  is  called  the  "  tender  herb ;"  then 
something  more  useful,  which  again  bears  seed  in  itself,  and 
is  called  the  "  herb  yielding  seed ;"  and  at  length  something 
good  which  becomes  fruitful,  and  is  called  the  "  tree  bearing 
fruit,  whose  seed  is  in  itself,"  each  according  to  its  own  kind. 
The  man  who  is  being  regenerated  is  at  first  of  such  a  quality 
that  he  supposes  the  good  which  he  does,  and  the  truth  which 


N.  29]  CHAPTER  I.  VEKS.  11,  12  15 

he  speaks,  to  be  from  himself,  when  in  reality  all  good  and  all 
truth  are  from  the  Lord,  so  that  whosoever  supposes  them  to 
be  from  himself  has  not  as  yet  the  life  of  true  faith,  which 
nevertheless  he  may  afterwards  receive ;  for  he  cannot  as  yet 
believe  that  they  are  from  the  Lord,  because  he  is  only  in  a 
state  of  preparation  for  the  reception  of  the  life  of  faith.  This 
state  is  here  represented  by  things  inanimate,  and  the  succeed- 
ing one  of  the  life  of  faith,  by  animate  things.  [2]  The  Lord 
is  He  who  sows,  the  "  seed"  is  His  Word,  and  the  "  earth"  is 
man,  as  He  himself  has  deigned  to  declare  (Matt.  xiii.  19-24, 
37-39 ;  Mark  iv.  14-21 ;  Luke  viii.  11-16).  To  the  same  pur- 
port He  gives  this  description  : — 

So  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  a  man  when  he  casteth  seed  into  the  earth, 
and  sleepeth  and  riseth  night  and  day,  and  the  seed  groweth  and  riseth 
up,  he  knoweth  not  how  ;  for  the  earth  bringeth  forth  fruit  of  herself, 
first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  after  that  the  full  corn  in  the  ear  (Mark  iv. 
26-28). 

By  the  "  kingdom  of  God,"  in  the  universal  sense,  is  meant  the 
universal  heaven ;  in  a  sense  less  universal,  the  true  church  of 
the  Lord ;  and  in  a  particular  sense,  every  one  who  is  of  true 
faith,  or  who  is  regenerate  by  a  life  of  faith.  Wherefore  such 
a  person  is  also  called  "  heaven,"  because  heaven  is  in  him ; 
and  likewise  the  "  kingdom  of  God,"  because  the  kingdom  of 
God  is  in  him  ;  as  the  Lord  Himself  teaches  in  Luke : — 

Being  demanded  of  the  Pharisees  when  the  kingdom  of  God  should 
come,  He  answered  them,  and  said,  The  kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with 
observation  ;  neither  shall  they  say,  Lo  here  !  or,  Lo  there  !  for  behold, 
the  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you  (xvii.  20,  21). 

This  is  the  third  successive  stage  of  the  regeneration  of  man, 
being  his  state  of  repentance,  and  in  like  manner  proceeding 
from  shade  to  light,  or  from  evening  to  morning ;  wherefore  it 
is  said  (verse  13),  and  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  third 
day. 

30.  Verses  14—17.  And  God  said,  Let  there  be  luminaries  in 
the  expanse  of  the  heavens,  to  distinguish  between  the  day  and  the 
night  ;  and  let  them  be  for  signs,  and  for  seasons,  and  for  days, 
and  for  years  ;  and  let  them  be  for  luminaries  in  the  expanse  of 
the  heavens,  to  give  light  upon  the  earth  ;  and  it  was  so.  And 


16  GENESIS  LN-  30 

God  made  two  great  luminaries,  the  greater  luminary  to  rule  by 
day,  and  the  lesser  luminary  to  rule  by  night ;  and  the  stars. 
And  God  set  them  in  the  expanse  of  the  heavens,  to  give  light 
upon  the  earth.  What  is  meant  by  "  great  luminaries'"  cannot 
be  clearly  understood  unless  it  is  first  known  what  is  the  essence 
of  faith,  and  also  what  is  its  progress  with  those  who  are  being 
created  anew.  The  very  essence  and  life  of  faith  is  the  Lord 
alone,  for  he  who  does  not  believe  in  the  Lord  cannot  have  life, 
as  He  himself  has  declared  in  John : — 

He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  eternal  life  ;  but  he  that  believeth 
not  on  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God  shall  abide  upon 
him  (iii.  36). 

[2]  The  progression  of  faith  with  those  who  are  being  created 
anew  is  as  follows.  At  first  they  have  no  life,  for  it  is  only  in 
the  good  and  the  true  that  there  is  life,  and  none  in  the  evil  and 
the  false ;  afterwards  they  receive  life  from  the  Lord  by  faith, 
first  by  faith  of  the  memory,  which  is  a  faith  of  mere  knowl- 
edge (fides  scientifica) ;  next  by  faith  in  the  understanding, 
which  is  an  intellectual  faith;  lastly  by  faith  in  the  heart, 
which  is  the  faith  of  love,  or  saving  faith.  The  first  two  kinds 
of  faith  are  represented  from  verse  3  to  verse  13,  by  things  in- 
animate, but  faith  vivified  by  love  is  represented  from  verse  20 
to  verse  25,  by  animate  things.  For  this  reason  love,  and  faith 
thence  derived,  are  now  here  first  treated  of,  and  are  called 
"  luminaries ;"  love  being  "  the  greater  luminary  which  rules 
by  day ;"  faith  derived  from  love  "  the  lesser  luminary  which 
rules  by  night ;"  and  as  these  two  luminaries  ought  to  make  a 
one,  it  is  said  of  them,  in  the  singular  number,  "  Let  there  be 
luminaries  (sit  luminaria),  and  not  in  the  plural  (sint  lumi- 
naria).  [3]  Love  and  faith  in  the  internal  man  are  like  heat 
and  light  in  the  external  corporeal  man,  for  which  reason  the 
former  are  represented  by  the  latter.  It  is  on  this  account  that 
luminaries  are  said  to  be  "  set  in  the  expanse  of  heaven,"  or  in 
the  internal  man  ;  a  great  luminary  in  its  will,  and  a  lesser  one 
in  its  understanding ;  but  they  appear  in  the  will  and  the  un- 
derstanding only  as  does  the  light  of  the  sun  in  its  recipient 
objects.  It  is  the  Lord's  mercy  alone  that  affects  the  will  with 
love,  and  the  understanding  with  truth  or  faith. 


N.  31J  CHAPTER    I.  VERS.   14-17  17 

31.  That  the  "great  luminaries"  signify  love  and  faith,  and 
are  also  called  "  sun,  moon,  and  stars,"  is  evident  from  the 
Prophets,  as  in  Ezekiel : — 

When  I  shall  extinguish  thee,  I  will  cover  the  heavens  and  make  the 
stars  thereof  black  ;  I  will  cover  the  sun  with  a  cloud,  and  the  moon  shall 
not  give  her  light ;  all  the  luminaries  of  the  light  of  heaven  will  I  make 
black  over  thee,  and  I  will  set  darkness  upon  thy  land  (xxxii.  7,  8). 

In  this  passage  Pharaoh  and  the  Egyptians  are  treated  of,  by 
whom  are  meant,  in  the  Word,  the  principle  of  mere  sense  and 
of  mere  knowledge  (sensuale  et  scientificum)  ;  and  here,  that  by 
things  of  sense  and  of  mere  knowledge  (sensualia  et  scientifica), 
love  and  faith  had  been  extinguished.  So  in  Isaiah : — 

The  day  of  Jehovah  cometh  to  set  the  land  in  desolation,  for  the 
stars  of  heaven  and  the  constellations  thereof  shall  not  give  their  light ; 
the  sun  is  darkened  in  his  going  forth,  arid  the  moon  shall  not  cause  her 
light  to  shine  (xiii.  9,  10). 

Again,  in  Joel : — • 

The  day  of  Jehovah  cometh,  a  day  of  darkness  and  of  thick  darkness  ; 
the  earth  trembleth  before  Him,  the  heavens  are  in  commotion  ;  the  sun 
and  the  moon  are  blackened,  and  the  stars  withdraw  their  brightness  (ii. 
1,  2,  10). 

[2]  Again,  in  Isaiah,  speaking  of  the  advent  of  the  Lord  and 
the  enlightening  of  the  Gentiles,  consequently  of  a  new  church, 
and  in  particular  of  all  who  are  in  darkness,  and  receive  light, 
and  are  being  regenerated  : — 

Arise,  shine,  for  thy  light  is  come  ;  behold  darkness  covers  the  earth, 
and  thick  darkness  the  peoples,  and  Jehovah  shall  arise  upon  thee,  and 
the  Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy  light,  and  kings  to  the  brightness  of  thy 
rising,  Jehovah  shall  be  to  thee  a  light  of  eternity,  thy  sun  shall  no  more 
go  down,  neither  shall  thy  moon  withdraw  itself,  for  Jehovah  shall  be  to 
thee  a  light  of  eternity  (Ix.  1-3,  20). 

So  in  David: — 

Jehovah  in  intelligence  maketh  the  heavens,  He  stretcheth  out  the 
earth  above  the  waters  ;  He  maketh  great  luminaries  ;  the  sun  to  rule  by 
day,  the  moon  and  stars  to  rule  by  night  (Ps.  cxxxvi.  5-9). 

And  again  : — 

Glorify  ye  Jehovah,  sun  and  moon  ;  glorify  Him,  all  ye  stars  of  light ; 
giorify  Him,  ye  heavens  of  heavens,  and  ye  waters  that  are  above  the 
hes  vens  (Ps.  cxlviiL    3,  4). 
VOL.  I.— 2 


18  GENESIS  [N.  31 

[3]  In  all  these  passages,  "  luminaries"  signify  love  and  faith. 
It  was  becaiise  "  luminaries"  represented  and  signified  love  and 
faith  toward  the  Lord  that  it  was  ordained  in  the  Jewish 
Church  that  a  perpetual  luminary  should  be  kept  burning  from 
evening  till  morning,  for  every  ordinance  in  that  church  was 
representative  of  the  Lord.  Of  this  luminary  it  is  written  : — 

Command  the  sons  of  Israel  that  they  take  oil  for  the  luminary,  to 
cause  the  lamp  to  ascend  continually :  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congrega- 
tion without  the  veil,  which  is  before  the  testimony,  shall  Aaron  and  his 
sons  order  it  from  evening  even  until  morning,  before  Jehovah  (Exod. 
xxvii.  20,  21). 

That  these  things  signify  love  and  faith,  which  the  Lord  kin- 
dles and  causes  to  give  light  in  the  internal  man,  and  through 
the  internal  man  in  the  external,  will  of  the  Lord's  Divine 
mercy  be  shown  in  its  proper  place. 

32.  Love  and  faith  are  first  called  "  great  luminaries,"  and  af- 
terwards love  is  called  a  "  greater  luminary,"  and  faith  a  "  lesser 
luminary ;"  and  it  is  said  of  love  that  it  shall  "  rule  by  day," 
and  of  faith  that  it  shall  "  rule  by  night."  As  these  are  arcana 
which  ar#  hidden,  especially  in  this  end  of  days,  it  is  permitted 
of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  to  explain  them.  The  reason  why 
these  arcana  are  more  especially  concealed  in  this  end  of  days 
is  that  now  is  the  consummation  of  the  age,  when  there  is 
scarcely  any  love,  and  consequently  scarcely  any  faith,  as  the 
Lord  Himself  foretold  in  the  Evangelists  in  these  words : — 

The  sun  shall  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  and 
the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  powers  of  the  heavens  shall  be 
shaken  (Matt.  xxiv.  29). 

By  the  "  sun"  is  here  meant  love,  which  is  darkened ;  by  the 
"  moon"  faith,  which  does  not  give  light ;  and  by  the  "  stars," 
the  knowledges  of  faith,  which  fall  from  heaven,  and  which  are 
the  "virtues  and  powers  of  the  heavens."  [2]  The  Most  An- 
cient Church  acknowledged  no  other  faith  than  love  itself. 
The  celestial  angels  also  do  not  know  what  faith  is  except  that 
which  is  of  love.  The  universal  heaven  is  a  heaven  of  love,  for 
there  is  no  other  life  in  the  heavens  than  the  life  of  love.  From 
this  is  derived  all  heavenly  happiness,  which  is  so  great  that 
nothing  of  it  admits  of  description,  nor  can  ever  be  conceived  by 
any  human  idea  Those  who  are  under  the  influence  of  love, 


N.  32]  CHAPTER   I.  VERS.  14-17  19 

love  the  Lord  from  the  heart,  but  yet  know,  declare,  and  per- 
ceive, that  all  love,  and  consequently  all  life — which  is  of  love 
alone — and  thus  all  happiness,  coine  solely  from  the  Lord,  and 
that  they  have  not  the  least  of  love,  of  life,  or  of  happiness, 
from  themselves.  That  it  is  the  Lord  from  whom  all  love 
comes,  was  also  represented  by  the  great  luminary  or  "  sun,"  at 
His  transfiguration,  for  it  is  written : — 

His  face  did  shine  as  the  sun,  and  his  raiment  was  white  as  the  light 
(Matt.  xvii.  2). 

» 
Inmost  things  are  signified  by  the  face,  and  the  things  that 

proceed  from  them,  by  the  raiment.  Thus  the  Lord's  Divine 
was  signified  by  the  "  sun,"  or  love ;  and  His  Human  by  the 
"  light,"  or  wisdom  proceeding  from  love. 

33.  It  is  in  every  one's  power  very  well  to  know  that  no  life 
is  possible  without  some  love,  and  that  no  joy  is  possible  except 
that  which  flows  from  love.     Such  however  as  is  the  love,  such 
is  the  life,  and  such  the  joy :  if  you  were  to  remove  loves,  or 
what  is  the  same  thing,  desires — for  these  are  of  love — thought 
would  instantly  cease,  and  you  would  become  like  a  dead  per- 
son, as  has  been  shown  me  to  the  life.     The  loves  of  self  and 
of  the  world  have  in  them  some  resemblance  to  life  and  to  joy, 
but  as  they  are  altogether  contrary  to  true  love,  which  consists 
in  a  man's  loving  the  Lord  above  all  things,  and  his  neighbor 
as  himself,  it  must  be  evident  that  they  are  not  loves,  but 
hatreds,  for  in  proportion  as  any  one  loves  himself  and  the 
world,  in  the  same  proportion  he  hates  his  neighbor,  and  thereby 
the  Lord.     Wherefore  true  love  is  love  to  the  Lord,  and  true 
life  is  the  life  of  love  from  Him,  and  true  joy  is  the  joy  of  that 
life.     There  can  be  but  one  true  love,  and  therefore  but  one 
true  life,  whence  flow  true  joys  and  true  felicities,  such  as  are 
those  of  the  angels  in  the  heavens. 

34.  Love  and  faith  admit  of  no  separation,  because  they  con- 
stitute one  and  the  same  thing ;  and  therefore  when  mention  is 
first  made  of  "  luminaries"  they  are  regarded  as  one,  and  it  is 
said,  "  let  there  be  (sit}  luminaries  in  the  expanse  of  the  hea- 
vens."    Concerning  this  circumstance  it  is  permitted  me  to 
relate  the  following  wonderful  particulars.      The  celestial  an- 
gels, by  virtue  of  the  celestial  love  in  which  they  are  from  the 


20  GENESIS  [N.  34 

Lord,  are  from  that  love  in  all  the  knowledges  of  faith,  and  are 
in  such  a  life  and  light  of  intelligence  that  scarcely  anything 
of  it  can  be  described.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  spirits  who  are 
in  the  knowledge  of  the  doctrinals  of  faith,  without  love,  are  in 
such  a  coldness  of  life  and  obscurity  of  light  that  they  cannot 
even  approach  the  first  threshold  of  the  court  of  the  heavens, 
but  flee  back  again.  Some  of  them,  while  not  living  according 
to  His  precepts,  say  that  they  have  believed  in  the  Lord,  and 
it  was  of  such  that  the  Lord  said  in  Matthew : — 

Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  Me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  the  heavens,  but  he  that  doeth  My  will :  many  will  say  to  Me 
in  that  day,  Lord,  Lord,  have  we  not  prophesied  through  Thy  name  (vii. 
21,  22,  to  the  end). 

[2]  Hence  it  is  evident  that  those  who  are  in  love  are  also  in 
faith,  and  thereby  in  heavenly  life,  but  not  those  who  say  they 
are  in  faith,  and  are  not  in  the  life  of  love.  The  life  of  faith 
without  love  is  like  the  light  of  the  sun  without  heat,  as  in  the 
time  of  winter,  when  nothing  grows,  but  all  things  are  torpid 
and  dead ;  whereas  faith  proceeding  from  love  is  like  the  light 
of  the  sun  in  the  time  of  spring,  when  all  things  grow  and 
flourish  in  consequence  of  the  sun's  fructifying  heat.  It  is 
precisely  similar  in  regard  to  spiritual  and  heavenly  things, 
which  are  usually  represented  in  the  Word  by  such  as  exist  in 
the  world  and  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  No  faith,  and  faith 
without  love,  are  also  compared  by  the  Lord  to  "  winter,"  where 
He  foretells  the  consummation  of  the  age,  in  Mark : — 

Pray  ye  that  your  flight  be  not  in  the  winter,  for  those  shall  be  days 
of  affliction  (xiii.  18,  19). 

"  Flight"  means  the  last  time,  and  also  that  of  every  man  when 
he  dies.  "  Winter"  is  a  life  destitute  of  love ;  the  "  day  of 
affliction"  is  its  miserable  state  in  the  other  life. 

35.  Man  has  two  faculties  :  will  and  understanding.  When 
the  understanding  is  governed  by  the  will  they  together  consti- 
tute one  mind,  and  thus  one  life,  for  then  what  the  man  wills 
and  does  he  also  thinks  and  intends.  But  when  the  under- 
standing is  at  variance  with  the  will  (as  with  those  who  say 
they  have  faith,  and  yet  live  in  contradiction  to  faith),  then  the 
one  mind  is  divided  into  two,  one  of  which  desires  to  exalt  itself 


N.  35]  CHAPTER   I.  VERS.  14-17  21 

into  heaven,  while  the  other  tends  toward  hell ;  and  since  the 
will  is  the  doer  in  every  act,  the  whole  man  would  plunge  head- 
long into  hell  if  it  were  not  that  the  Lord  has  mercy  on  him. 

36.  They  who  have  separated  faith  from  love  do  not  even 
know  what  faith  is.     When  thinking  of  faith,  some  imagine  it 
to  be  mere  thought,  some  that  it  is  thought  directed  toward  the 
Lord,  few  that  it  is  the  doctrine  of  faith.     But  faith  is  not  only 
a  knowledge  and  acknowledgment  of  all  things  that  the  doc- 
trine of  faith  comprises,  but  especially  is  it  an  obedience  to  all 
things  that  the  doctrine  of  faith  teaches.     The  primary  point 
that  it  teaches,  and  that  which  men  should  obey,  is  love  to  the 
Lord,  and  love  toward  the  neighbor,  for  if  a  man  is  not  in  this, 
he  is  not  in  faith.     This  the  Lord  teaches  so  plainly  as  to  leave 
no  doubt  concerning  it,  in  Mark : — 

The  foremost  of  all  the  commandments  is,  Hear,  O  Israel,  the  Lord 
our  God  is  one  Lord  ;  therefore  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy^soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  with  all 
thy  strength :  this  is  the  foremost  commandment ;  and  the  second  is  like, 
namely  this,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself  ;  there  is  none  other 
commandment  greater  than  these  (xii.  29-31). 

In  Matthew,  the  Lord  calls  the  former  of  these  the  "  first 
and  great  commandment,"  and  says  that  "  on  these  command- 
ments hang  all  the  law  and  the  Prophets"  (xxii.  37-41).  The 
"  law  and  the  Prophets"  are  the  universal  doctrine  of  faith,  and 
the  whole  Word. 

37.  It  is  said  that  the  luminaries  shall  be  "  for  signs,  and  for 
seasons,  and  for  days,  and  for  years."     In  these  words  are  con- 
tained more  arcana  than  can  at  present  be  unfolded,  although 
in  the  literal  sense  nothing  of  the  kind  appears.    Suffice  it  here 
to  observe  that  there  are  alternations  of  things  spiritxial  and  ce- 
lestial, both  in  general  and  in  particular,  which  are  compared 
to  the  changes  of  days  and  of  years.     The  changes  of  days  are 
from  morning  to  mid-day,  thence  to  evening,  and  through  night 
to  morning ;  and  the  changes  of  years  are  similar,  being  from 
spring  to  summer,  thence  to  autumn,  and  through  winter  to 
spring.     Hence  come  the  alternations  of  heat  and  light,  and 
also  of  the  productions  of  the  earth     To  these  changes  are  com- 
pared the  alternations  of  things  spiritual  and  celestial.     Life 
without  such  alternations  and  varieties  would  be  uniform,  con- 


22  GENESIS  [N.  37 

sequently  no  life  at  all ;  nor  would  good  and  truth  be  discerned 
or  distinguished,  much  less  perceived.  These  alternations  are 
in  the  Prophets  called  "ordinances  (statuta),"  as  in  Jeremiah  : — 

Said  Jehovah,  who  giveth  the  sun  for  a  light  by  day,  and  the  ordinances 
of  the  moon  and  of  the  stars  for  a  light  by  night  (xxxi.  35,  36). 

And  in  the  same  Prophet : — 

Said  Jehovah,  If  My  covenant  of  day  and  night  stand  not,  and  if  I 
have  not  appointed  the  ordinances  of  heaven  and  earth  (xxxiii.  25). 

But  concerning  these  things,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy,  at 
Genesis  viii.  22. 

38.  Verse  18.  And  to  rule  in  the  day,  and  in  the  night,  and 
to  distinguish  between  the  light  and  the  darkness  ;  and  God  saw 
that  it  was  good.     By  the  "  day"  is  meant  good,  by  the  "  night," 
evil ;  and  therefore  goods  are  called  works  of  the  day,  but  evils 
works  of  the  night ;  by  the  "  light"  is  meant  truth,  and  by  the 
"  darkness"  falsity,  as  the  Lord  says  : — 

Men  loved  darkness  rather  than  light.     He  that  doeth  truth  cometh  to 
the  light  (John  iii.  19,  21). 

Verse  19.  And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were  the  fourth  day. 

39.  Verse  20.  And  God  said,  Let  the  water's  cause  to  creep 
forth  the  creeping  thing,  the  living  soul ;  and  let  fowl  fly  above 
the  earth  upon  the  faces  of  the  expanse  of  the  heavens.     After 
the  great  luminaries  have  been  kindled  and  placed  in  the  in- 
ternal man,  and  the  external  receives  light  from  them,  then 
the  man  first  begins  to  live.     Heretofore  he  can  scarcely  be 
said  to  have  lived,  inasmuch  as  the  good  which  he  did  he  sup- 
posed that  he  did  of  himself,  and  the  truth  which  he  spoke 
that  he  spoke  of  himself ;  and  since  man  of  himself  is  dead,  and 
there  is  in  him  nothing  but  what  is  evil  and  false,  therefore 
whatsoever  he  produces  from  himself  is  not  alive,  insomuch 
that  he  cannot,  from  himself,  do  good  that  in  itself  is  good. 
That  man  cannot  even  think  what  is  good,  nor  will  what  is 
good,  consequently  cannot  do  what  is  good,  except  from  the 
Lord,  must  be  plain  to  every  one  from  the  doctrine  of  faith, 
for  the  Lord  says  in  Matthew : — 

He  that  soweth  the  good  seed  is  the  Son  of  man  (xiii.  37). 


N.  39]  CHAPTER   I.  VER.  20  23 

Nor  can  any  good  come  except  from  the  real  Fountain  of  good, 
which  is  One  only,  as  He  says  in  another  place : — 

None  is  good  save  One,  God  (Luke  xviii.  19). 

[2]  Nevertheless  when  the  Lord  is  resuscitating  man,  that  is, 
regenerating  him,  to  life,  He  permits  him  at  first  to  suppose 
that  he  does  what  is  good  and  speaks  what  is  true  from  him- 
self, for  at  that  time  he  is  incapable  of  conceiving  otherwise, 
nor  can  he  in  any  other  way  be  led  to  believe,  and  afterwards 
to  perceive,  that  all  good  and  truth  are  from  the  Lord  alone. 
While  man  is  thinking  in  such  a  way  his  truths  and  goods  are 
compared  to  the  "  tender  grass,"  and  also  to  the  "  herb  yielding 
seed,"  and  lastly  to  the  "  tree  bearing  fruit,"  all  of  which  are 
inanimate ;  but  now  that  he  is  vivified  by  love  and  faith,  and 
believes  that  the  Lord  works  all  the  good  that  he  does  and  all 
the  truth  that  he  speaks,  he  is  compared  first  to  the  "  creeping 
things  of  the  water,"  and  to  the  "  fowls  which  fly  above  the 
earth,"  and  also  to  "  beasts,"  which  are  all  animate  things,  and 
are  called  "  living  souls." 

40.  By  the  "  creeping  things  which  the  waters  bring  forth," 
are  signified  the  memory -know  ledges  (scientifica)  which  belong 
to  the  external  man ;  by  "  birds"  in  general,  rational  and  intel- 
lectual things,  of  which  the  latter  belong  to  the  internal  man. 
That  the  "  creeping  things  of  the  waters,"  or  "  fishes,"  signify 
memory -knowledges,  is  plain  from  Isaiah : — 

I  came  and  there  was  no  man  ;  at  My  rebuke  I  dry  up  the  sea,  I  make 
the  rivers  a  wilderness ;  their  fish  shall  stink  because  there  is  no  water 
and  shall  die  for  thirst ;  I  clothe  the  heavens  with  blackness  (1.  2,  3). 

[2]  But  it  is  still  plainer  from  Ezekiel,  where  the  Lord  de- 
scribes the  new  temple,  or  a  new  church  in  general,  and  the 
man  of  the  church,  or  a  regenerate  person ;  for  every  one  who 
is  regenerate  is  a  temple  of  the  Lord : — 

The  Lord  Jehovih  said  unto  me,  These  waters  that  shall  issue  to  the 
boundary  toward  the  east,  and  shall  come  toward  the  sea,  being  led  into 
the  sea,  and  the  waters  shall  be  healed  ;  and  it  shall  come  to  pass  that 
every  living  soul  that  shall  creep  forth,  whithersoever  the  water  of  the 
rivers  shall  come,  shall  live,  and  there  shall  be  exceeding  much  fish,  be- 
cause those  waters  shall  come  thither,  and  they  shall  heal,  and  everything 
shall  live  whither  the  river  cometh  ;  and  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  fishers 
shall  stand  upon  it  from  Erw-gedi  to  En-eglaim,  with  the  spreading  of  nets 


24  GENESIS  [N.  40 

shall  they  be  ;  their  fish  shall  be  according  to  its  kind,  as  the  fish  of  the 
great  sea,  exceeding  many  (xlvii.  8-10). 

"  Fishers  from  En-gedi  unto  En-eglaim,"  with  the  "  spreading 
of  nets,"  signify  those  who  shall  instruct  the  natural  man  in 
the  truths  of  faith.  [3]  That  "  birds"  signify  things  rational 
and  intellectual,  is  evident  from  the  Prophets ;  as  in  Isaiah : — 

Calling  a  bird  from  the  east,  the  man  of  My  counsel  from  a  distant  land 
(xlvi.  11). 

And  in  Jeremiah : — 

I  beheld  and  lo  there  was  no  man,  and  all  the  birds  of  the  heavens 
were  fled  (iv.  26). 

In  Ezekiel : — 

I  will  plant  a  shoot  of  a  lofty  cedar,  and  it  shall  lift  up  a  branch,  and 
shall  bear  fruit,  and  be  a  magnificent  cedar ;  and  under  it  shall  dwell 
every  fowl  of  every  wing,  in  the  shadow  of  the  branches  thereof  shall 
they  dwell  (xvii.  22,  23). 

And  in  Hosea,  speaking  of  a  new  church,  or  of  a  regenerate 
man : — 

And  in  that  day  will  I  make  a  covenant  for  them  with  the  wild  beast 
of  the  field,  and  with  the  fowls  of  heaven,  and  with  the  moving  thing  of 
the  ground  (ii.  18). 

That  "wild  beast"  does  not  signify  wild  beast,  nor  "bird" 
bird,  must  be  evident  to  every  one,  for  the  Lord  is  said  to 
"  make  a  new  covenant"  with  them. 

41.  Whatever  is  proper  to  man  has  no  life  in  itself,  and 
whenever  it  is  made  manifest  to  the  sight  it  appears  hard,  like 
a  bony  and  black  substance ;  but  whatever  is  from  the  Lord 
has  life,  containing  within  it  that  which  is  spiritual  and  celes- 
tial, which  when  presented  to  view  appears  human  and  living. 
It  may  seem  incredible  but  is  nevertheless  most  true,  that  every 
single  expression,  every  single  idea,  and  every  least  of  thought 
in  an  angelic  spirit,  is  alive,  containing  in  its  minutest  particu- 
lars an  affection  that  proceeds  from  the  Lord,  who  is  life  itself. 
And  therefore  whatsoever  things  are  from  the  Lord,  have  life  in 
them,  because  they  contain  faith  toward  Him,  and  are  here 
signified  by  the  "  living  soul :"  they  have  also  a  species  of  body, 
here  signified  by  "what  moves  itself,"  or  "creeps."  These 
truths  however  are  as  yet  deep  secrets  to  man,  and  are  now 


N.  41]  CHAPTER   I.  VER.  20  25 

mentioned  only  because  the  "living  soul,"  and  the  "thing 
moving  itself,"  are  treated  of. 

42.  Verse  21.  And  God  created  great  whales,  and  every  living 
soul  that  creepeth,  which  the  waters  made  to  creep  forth,  after 
their  kinds,  and  every  winged  fowl  after  its  kind  ;  and  God  saw 
that  it  was  good.  "  Fishes,"  as  before  said,  signify  memory- 
knowledges,  now  animated  by  faith  from  the  Lord,  and  thus 
alive.  "  Whales"  signify  their  general  principles,  in  subordi- 
nation to  which,  and  from  which,  are  the  particulars  ;  for  there 
is  nothing  in  the  universe  that  is  not  under  some  general  prin- 
ciple, as  a  means  that  it  may  exist  and  subsist.  "  Whales,"  or 
"  great  fishes,"  are  sometimes  mentioned  by  the  Prophets,  and 
they  there  signify  the  generals  of  memory-knowledges.  Pha- 
raoh the  king  of  Egypt  (by  whom  is  represented  human  wisdom 
or  intelligence,  that  is,  knowledge  (scientia)  in  general),  is 
called  a  "  great  whale."  As  in  Ezekiel : — 

Behold,  I  am  against  thee,  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt,  the  great  whale  that 
lieth  in  the  midst  of  his  rivers,  that  hath  said,  My  river  is  mine  own,  and 
I  have  made  myself  (xxix.  3). 

[2]  And  in  another  place : — 

Take  up  a  lamentation  for  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt,  and  say  unto  him, 
Thou  art  as  a  whale  in  the  seas,  and  hast  gone  forth  in  thy  rivers,  and 
hast  troubled  the  waters  with  thy  feet  (xxxii.  2), 

by  which  words  are  signified  those  who  desire  to  enter  into  the 
mysteries  of  faith  by  means  of  memory -knowledges,  and  thus 
from  themselves.  In  Isaiah : — 

In  that  day  Jehovah,  with  His  hard  and  great  and  strong  sword,  shall 
visit  upon  leviathan  the  longish  (oblongum)  serpent,  even  leviathan  the 
crooked  serpent,  and  He  shall  slay  the  whales  that  are  in  the  sea  (xxvii.  1). 

By  "  slaying  the  whales  that  are  in  the  sea,"  is  signified  that 
such  persons  are  ignorant  of  even  the  general  principles  of 
truth.  So  in  Jeremiah  : — 

Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  of  Babylon  hath  devoured  me,  he  hath  trou- 
bled me,  he  hath  made  me  an  empty  vessel,  he  hath  swallowed  me  as  a 
whale,  he  hath  filled  his  belly  with  my  delicacies,  he  hath  cast  me  out 
(li.  34), 

denoting  that  he  had  swallowed  the  knowledges  of  faith,  here 
called  "  delicacies,"  as  the  whale  did  Jonah ;  a  "  whale"  de- 
noting those  who  possess  the  general  principles  of  the  knowl- 


26  GENESIS  [N.  42 

edges  of  faith  as  mere  memory-knowledges,  and  act  in  this 
manner. 

43.  Verse  22.  And  God  blessed  them,  saying,  Be  fruitful,  and 
multiply,  and  fill  the  waters  in  the  seas,  and  the  fowl  shall  be 
multiplied  in  the  earth.     Everything  that  has  in  itself  life  from 
the  Lord  fructifies  and  multiplies  itself   immensely ;  not  so 
much  while  the  man  lives  in  the  body,  but  to  an  amazing  degree 
in  the  other  life.     To  "  be  fruitful,"  in  the  Word,  is  predicated 
of  the  things  that  are  of  love,  and  to  "  multiply,"  of  the  things 
that  are  of  faith  ;  the  "  fruit"  which  is  of  love  contains  "  seed,"' 
by  which  it  so  greatly  multiplies  itself.     The  Lord's  "  blessing" 
also  in  the  Word  signifies  fructification   and  multiplication, 
because  they  proceed  from  it.     Verse  23.  And  the  evening  and 
the  morning  were  the  fifth  day. 

44.  Verses  24,  25.  And  God  said,  Let  the  earth  bring  forth 
the  living  soul  after  its  kind,  the  beast,  and  the  moving  thing,  and 
the  wild  animal  of  the  earth  after  its  kind  ;  and  it  was  so.     And 
God  made  the  wild  animal  of  the  earth  after  its  kind,  and  the 
beast  after  its  kind,  and  everything  that  creepeth  on  the  ground 
after  its  kind  ;  and  God  saw  that  it  was  good.     Man,  like  the 
earth,  can  produce  nothing  of  good  unless  the  knowledges  of 
faith  are  first  sown  in  him,  whereby  he  may  know  what  is  to  be 
believed  and  done.    It  is  the  office  of  the  understanding  to  hear 
the  Word,  and  of  the  will  to  do  it.     To  hear  the  Word  and  not 
to  do  it,  is  like  saying  that  we  believe  when  we  do  not  live  ac- 
cording to  our  belief ;  in  which  case  we  separate  hearing  and 
doing,  and  thus  have  a  divided  mind,  and  become  of  those 
whom  the  Lord  calls  "  foolish"  in  the  following  passage  : — 

Whosoever  heareth  My  words,  and  doeth  them,  I  will  liken  unto  a 
wise  man  who  built  his  house  upon  a  rock :  but  every  one  that  heareth 
My  words,  and  doeth  them  not,  I  liken  to  a  foolish  man,  who  built  his 
house  upon  the  sand  (Matt.  vii.  24,  26). 

The  things  that  belong  to  the  understanding  are  signified — as 
before  shown — by  the  "  creeping  things  which  the  waters  bring 
forth,"  and  also  by  the  "  fowl  upon  the  earth,"  and  "  upon  the 
faces  of  the  expanse ;"  but  those  which  are  of  the  will  are  sig- 
nified here  by  the  "  living  soul  which  the  earth  produces,"  and 
by  the  "  beast"  and  "  creeping  thing,"  and  also  by  the  "  wild 
animal  of  that  earth." 


N.  45]  CHAPTER   I.  VERS.  24,  25  27 

45.  Those  who  lived  in  the  most  ancient  times  thus  signi- 
fied the  things  relating  to  the  understanding  and  to  the  will; 
and  therefore  in  the  Prophets,  and  constantly  in  the  Word  ot 
the  Old  Testament,  the  like  things  are  represented  by  different 
kinds  of  animals.     Beasts  are  of  two  kinds  ;  the  evil,  so  called 
because  they  are  hurtful ;  and  the  good,  which  are  harmless. 
Evils  in  man  are  signified  by  evil  beasts,  as  by  bears,  wolves, 
dogs  ;  and  the  things  which  are  good  and  gentle,  by  beasts  of  a 
like  nature,  as  by  heifers,  sheep,  and  lambs.     The  "  beasts" 
here  referred  to  are  good  and  gentle  ones,  and  thus  signify  af- 
fections, because  it  here  treats  of  those  who  are  being  regen- 
erated.    The  lower  things  in  man,  which  have  more  connection 
with  the  body,  are  called  "  wild  animals  of  that  earth,"  and  are 
cupidities  and  pleasures. 

46.  That  "  beasts"  signify  man's  affections — evil  affections 
with  the  evil,  and  good  affections  with  the  good — is  evident 
from  numerous  passages  in  the  Word,  as  in  Ezekiel : — 

Behold,  I  am  for  you,  and  I  will  look  back  to  you,  that  ye  may  be 
tilled  and  sown,  and  I  will  multiply  upon  you  man  and  beast,  and  they 
shall  be  multiplied  and  bring  forth  fruit ;  and  I  will  cause  you  to  dwell 
as  in  your  ancient  times  (xxxvi.  9,  11,  treating  of  regeneration). 

In  Joel : — 

Be  not  afraid  ye  beasts  of  My  field,  for  the  dwelling-places  of  the  wil- 
derness are  become  grassy  (ii.  22). 

In  David  also  : — 

So  foolish  was  I,  I  was  as  a  beast  before  Thee  (Ps.  Ixxiii.  22). 
In  Jeremiah,  treating  of  regeneration  : — 

Behold  the  days  come,  saith  Jehovah,  that  I  will  sow  the  house  of  Is- 
rael and  the  house  of  Judah  with  the  seed  of  man,  and  with  the  seed  of 
beast,  and  I  will  watch  over  them  to  build  and  to  plant  (xxxi.  27,  28). 

[2]  «  Wild  animals"  have  a  similar  signification,  as  in  Hosea : — 

In  that  day  will  I  make  a  covenant  for  them  with  the  wild  animal  of 
the  field,  and  with  the  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  with  the  creeping  thing 
of  the  earth  (ii.  18). 

In  Job : — 

Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  of  the  wild  animals  of  the  earth,  for  thy  cov- 
enant is  with  the  stones  of  the  field,  and  the  wild  animals  of  the  field  shall 
be  at  peace  with  thee  (v.  22,  23). 


28  GENESIS  [N.  46 

In  Ezekiel : — 

I  will  make  with  you  a  covenant  of  peace,  and  will  cause  the  evil  wild 
animal  to  cease  out  of  the  land,  that  they  may  dwell  confidently  in  the 
wilderness  (xxxiv.  25). 

In  Isaiah : — 

The  wild  animals  of  the  field  shall  honor  me,  because  I  have  given 
waters  in  the  wilderness  (xliii.  20). 

In  Ezekiel: — 

All  the  fowls  of  the  heavens  made  their  nests  in  his  boughs,  and  under 
his  branches  did  all  the  wild  animals  of  the  field  bring  forth  their  young, 
and  under  his  shadow  dwelt  all  great  nations  (xxxi.  6). 

This  is  said  of  the  Assyrian,  by  whom  is  signified  the  spiritual 
man,  and  who  is  compared  to  the  garden  of  Eden.  In  David : — 

Glorify  ye  Him,  all  His  angels,  glorify  Jehovah  from  the  earth,  ye 
whales,  fruit-trees,  wild  animal,  and  every  beast,  creeping  thing,  and  fly- 
ing fowl  (Ps.  cxlviii.  2,  7,  9,  10). 

Here  mention  is  made  of  the  same  things — as  "  whales,"  the 
"  fruit-tree,"  "  wild  animal,"  the  "  beast,"  "  creeping  thing,"  and 
"  fowl,"  which,  unless  they  had  signified  living  principles  in 
man,  could  never  have  been  called  upon  to  glorify  Jehovah. 
[3]  The  Prophets  carefully  distinguish  between  "  beasts"  and 
"  wild  animals"  "  of  the  earth,"  and  "  beasts"  and  "  wild  ani- 
mals" "  of  the  field."  Nevertheless  goods  in  man  are  called 
"  beasts,"  just  as  those  who  are  nearest  the  Lord  in  heaven  are 
called  "animals,"*  both  in  Ezekiel  and  in  John: — 

All  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne,  and  the  elders,  and  the 
four  animals,*  and  fell  before  the  throne  on  their  faces,  and  vorshiped 
the  Lamb  (Rev.  vii.  11 ;  xix.  4). 

Those  also  who  have  the  gospel  preached  to  them  are  called 
"  creatures,"  because  they  are  to  be  created  anew : — 

Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature  (Mark 
xvi.  15). 

47.  That  these  words  contain  arcana  relating  to  regenera- 
tion, is  evident  also  from  its  being  said  in  the  foregoing  verse 
that  the  earth  should  bring  forth  "  the  living  soul,  the  beast, 

*  This  word  is  here  correctly  translated  "  animals"  and  not  "  beasts,"  as  in  the 
authorized  version,  for  £5>ov  in  Greek,  and  animal  in  Latin  and  English,  precisely 
correspond  to  each  other,  and  properly  signify  "  a  living  creature."  '/MOV  is  the  word 
used  in  these  passages  in  the  original,  and  not  &rjp  or  ^piov,  as  would  be  the  case  if 
beast  had  been  intended,  [Note  to  former  edition.} 


N.  47]  CHAPTER   I.  VERS.  24,  25  29 

and  the  \vild  animal  of  the  earth,"  whereas  in  the  following 
verse  the  order  is  changed,  and  it  said  that  God  made  "  the 
wild  animal  of  the  earth,"  and  likewise  "  the  beast ;"  for  at 
first,  and  afterwards  until  he  becomes  celestial,  man  brings 
forth  as  of  himself ;  and  thus  regeneration  begins  from  the  ex- 
ternal man,  and  proceeds  to  the  internal ;  therefore  here  there 
is  another  order,  and  external  things  are  mentioned  first. 

48.  Hence  then  it  appears  that  man  is  in  the  fifth  state  of 
regeneration  when  he  speaks  from  a  principle  of  faith,  which 
belongs  to  the  understanding,  and  thereby  confirms  himself  in 
the  true  and  in  the  good.     The  things  then  brought  forth  by 
him  are  animate,  and  are  called  the  "fishes  of  the  sea,"  and 
the  "  fowl  of  the  heavens."    He  is  in  the  sixth  state,  when  from 
faith,  which  is  of  the  understanding,  and  from  love  thence  de- 
rived, which  is  of  the  will,  he  speaks  truths,  and  does  goods ; 
what  he  then  brings  forth  being  called  the  "  living  soul,"  and 
the  "  beast."     And  as  he  then  begins  to  act  from  love,  as  well 
as  from  faith,  he  becomes  a  spiritual  man,  who  is  called  an 
"  image  of  God,"  which  is  the  subject  now  treated  of. 

49.  Verse  26.  And  God  said,  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image, 
after  our  likeness  ;  and  let  them  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of 
the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  over  the  least,  and 
over  all  the  earth,  and  over  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon 
the  earth.     In  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  with  the  members  of 
which  the  Lord  conversed  face  to  face,  the  Lord  appeared  as  a 
Man ;  concerning  which  much  might  be  related,  but  the  time 
has  not  yet  arrived.    On  this  account  they  called  no  one  "  man" 
but  the  Lord  Himself,  and  the  things  which  were  of  Him ; 
neither  did  they  call  themselves  "  men,"  but  only  those  things 
in  themselves — as  all  the  good  of  love  and  all  the  truth  of 
faith — which  they  perceived  they  had  from  the  Lord.     These 
they  said  were  "  of  man,"  because  they  were  of  the  Lord.     [2] 
Hence  in  the  Prophets,  by  "  man"  and  the  "  Son  of  man,"  in 
the  supreme  sense,  is  meant  the  Lord ;  and  in  the  internal 
sense,  wisdom  and  intelligence ;  thus  every  one  who  is  regen- 
erate.    As  in  Jeremiah : — 

I  beheld  the  earth,  and  lo,  it  was  void  and  emptiness,  and  the  heavens, 
and  they  had  no  light.  I  beheld  and  lo  there  was  no  man,  and  all  the 
birds  of  the  heavens  were  fled  (iv.  23,  25). 


3U  GENESIS  [N.  49 

In  Isaiah,  where,  in  the  internal  sense,  by  "  man"  is  meant  a 
regenerate  person,  and  in  the  supreme  sense,  the  Lord  himself, 
as  the  One  Man : — 

Thus  saith  Jehovah  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  and  his  Former,  I  have 
made  the  earth,  and  created  man  upon  it ;  I,  even  My  hands  have 
stretched  out  the  heavens,  and  all  their  army  have  I  commanded  (xlv. 
11,  12). 

[3]  The  Lord  therefore  appeared  to  the  prophets  as  a  man,  as 
in  Ezekiel : — 

Above  the  expanse,  as  the  appearance  of  a  sapphire  stone,  the  likeness 
of  a  throne,  and  upon  the  likeness  of  the  throne  was  the  likeness  as  the 
appearance  of  a  man  above  upon  it  (i.  26). 

And  when  seen  by  Daniel  He  was  called  the  "  Son  of  man," 
that  is,  the  man,  which  is  the  same  thing : — 

I  saw,  and  behold,  one  like  the  Son  of  man  came  with  the  clouds  of 
heaven,  and  came  to  the  Ancient  of  days,  and  they  brought  Him  near 
before  Him  ;  and  there  was  given  Him  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a  king- 
dom, that  all  people,  and  nations,  and  languages  should  serve  Him  ;  His 
dominion  is  an  everlasting  dominion,  which  shall  not  pass  away,  and  His 
kingdom  that  which  shall  not  be  destroyed  (vii.  13,  14). 

[4]  The  Lord  also  frequently  calls  Himself  the  "  Son  of  man," 
that  is,  the  man,  and,  as  in  Daniel,  foretells  His  coming  in 
glory : — 

Then  shall  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven 
with  power  and  great  glory  (Matt.  xxiv.  30). 

The  "clouds  of  heaven"  are  the  literal  sense  of  the  Word; 
"  power  and  great  glory"  are  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word, 
which  in  all  things  both  in  general  and  in  particular  has  ref- 
erence solely  to  the  Lord  and  His  kingdom ;  and  it  is  from 
this  that  the  internal  sense  derives  its  power  and  glory. 

50.  The  Most  Ancient  Church  understood  by  the  "image  of 
the  Lord"  more  than  can  be  expressed.  Man  is  altogether  igno- 
rant that  he  is  governed  of  the  Lord  through  angels  and  spirits, 
and  that  with  every  one  there  are  at  least  two  spirits,  and  two 
angels.  By  spirits  man  has  communication  with  the  world  of 
spirits,  and  by  angels  with  heaven.  Without  communication 
by  means  of  spirits  with  the  world  of  spirits,  and  by  means  of 
angels  with  heaven,  and  thus  through  heaven  with  the  Lord, 


N.  50]  CHAPTER  I.  VER.  26  81 

man  could  not  live  at  all ;  his  life  entirely  depends  on  this  con- 
junction, so  that  if  the  spirits  and  angels  were  to  withdraw,  he 
would  instantly  perish.  [2]  While  man  is  unregenerate  he  is 
governed  quite  otherwise  than  when  regenerated.  While  unre- 
generate there  are  evil  spirits  with  him,  who  so  domineer  over 
him  that  the  angels,  though  present,  are  scarcely  able  to  do  any- 
thing more  than  merely  guide  him  so  that  he  may  not  plunge 
into  the  lowest  evil,  and  bend  him  to  some  good — in  fact  bend 
him  to  good  by  means  of  his  own  cupidities,  and  to  truth  by 
means  of  the  fallacies  of  the  senses.  He  then  has  communica- 
tion with  the  world  of  spirits  through  the  spirits  who  are  with 
him,  but  not  so  much  with  heaven,  because  evil  spirits  rule, 
and  the  angels  only  avert  their  rule.  [3]  But  when  the  man 
is  regenerate,  the  angels  rule,  and  inspire  him  with  all  goods 
and  truths,  and  with  fear  and  horror  of  evils  and  falsities.  The 
angels  indeed  lead,  but  only  as  ministers,  for  it  is  the  Lord 
alone  who  governs  man  through  angels  and  spirits.  And  as 
this  is  done  through  the  ministry  of  angels,  it  is  here  first  said, 
in  the  plural  number,  "  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image ;"  and 
yet  because  the  Lord  alone  governs  and  disposes,  it  is  said  in 
the  following  verse,  in  the  singular  number,  "  God  created  him 
in  His  own  image."  This  the  Lord  also  plainly  declares  in 
Isaiah : — 

Thus  saith  Jehovah  thy  Redeemer,  and  He  that  formed  thee  from  the 
•womb,  I  Jehovah  make  all  things,  stretching  forth  the  heavens  alone, 
spreading  abroad  the  earth  by  Myself  (xliv.  24). 

The  angels  moreover  themselves  confess  that  there  is  no  power 
in  them,  but  that  they  act  from  the  Lord  alone. 

51.  As  regards  the  "  image,"  an  image  is  not  a  likeness,  but 
is  according  to  the  likeness  ;  it  is  therefore  said,  "  Let  us  make 
man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness."  The  spiritual  man  is  an 
"  image,"  and  the  celestial  man  a  "  likeness,"  or  similitude.  •  In 
this  chapter  the  spiritual  man  is  treated  of ;  in  the  following, 
the  celestial.  The  spiritual  man,  who  is  an  "  image,"  is  called 
by  the  Lord  a  "  son  of  light,"  as  in  John : — 

He  that  walketh  in  the  darkness  knoweth  not  whither  he  goeth.  While 
ye  have  the  light,  believe  in  the  light,  that  ye  may  be  sons  of  light  (xii. 
36,  36). 


32  GENESIS  [N.  51 

He  is  called  also  a  "  friend  :" — 

Ye  are  My  friends  if  ye  do  whatsoever  I  command  you  (John  xv. 
14,  15). 

But  the  celestial  man,  who  is  a  "  likeness,"  is  called  a  "  son  of 
God,"  in  John  : — 

As  many  as  received  Him,  to  them  gave  He  the  power  to  become  sons 
of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  His  name  ;  who  were  born  not  of 
bloods,*  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God 
(i.  12,  13). 

52.  So  long  as  man  is  spiritual,  his  dominion  proceeds  from 
the  external  man  to  the  internal,  as  is  here  said :  "  Let  them 
have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the 
heavens,  and  over  the  beast,  and  over  all  the  earth,  and  over 
every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth."    But  when 
he  becomes  celestial,  and  does  good  from  love,  then  his  domin- 
ion proceeds  from  the  internal  man  to  the  external,  as  the  Lord, 
in  David,  describes  Himself,  and  thereby  also  the  celestial  man, 
who  is  His  likeness  : — 

Thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the  works  of  Thy  hands  ; 
Thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet,  the  flock  and  all  cattle,  and  also 
the  beasts  of  the  fields,  the  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea, 
and  whatsoever  passeth  through  the  paths  of  the  seas  (Ps.  viii.  6-8). 

Here  therefore  "  beasts"  are  first  mentioned,  and  then  "  fowl," 
and  afterwards  the  "  fish  of  the  sea,"  because  the  celestial  man 
proceeds  from  love,  which  belongs  to  the  will,  differing  herein 
from  the  spiritual  man,  in  describing  whom  "  fishes"  and  "  fowl" 
are  first  named,  which  belong  to  the  understanding,  and  this 
to  faith ;  a.nd  afterwards  mention  is  made  of  "  beasts." 

53.  Verse  27.  And  God  created  man  in  His  own  image,  in  the 
image  of  God  created  He  him.    The  reason  why  "  image"  is  here 
twice  mentioned,  is  that  faith,  which  belongs  to  the  understand- 
ing, is  called  "  His  image ;"  whereas  love,  which  belongs  to  the 
will,  and  which  in  the  spiritual  man  comes  after,  but  in  the  ce- 
lestial man  precedes,  is  called  the  "  image  of  God." 

54.  Male  and  female  created  He  them.     What  is  meant  by 
"  male  and  female,"  in  the  internal  sense,  was  well  known  to 
the  Most  Ancient  Church,  but  when  the  interior  sense  of  the 

*  The  Greek  is  Ef  iunarw.    See  below,  at  n.  374'.    [REVISER.] 


N.  54]  CHAPTER  I.  VER,  27  33 

Word  was  lost  among  their  posterity,  this  arcanum  also  per- 
ished. Their  marriages  were  their  chief  sources  of  happiness 
and  delight,  and  whatever  admitted  of  the  comparison  they 
likened  to  marriage,  in  order  that  in  this  way  they  might  per- 
ceive its  felicity.  Being  also  internal  men,  they  were  delighted 
only  with  internal  things.  External  things  they  merely  saw 
with  the  eyes,  but  thought  of  wha,t  was  represented.  So  that 
outward  things  were  nothing  to  them,  save  as  these  could  in 
some  measure  be  the  means  of  causing  them  to  turn  their 
thoughts  to  internal  things,  and  from  these  to  celestial  things, 
and  so  to  the  Lord  who  was  their  all,  and  consequently  to  the 
heavenly  marriage,  from  which  they  perceived  the  happiness 
of  their  marriages  to  come.  The  understanding  in  the  spiritual 
man  they  therefore  called  male,  and  the  will  female,  and  when 
these  acted  as  a  one  they  called  it  a  marriage.  From  that 
church  came  the  form  of  speech  which  became  customary, 
whereby  the  church  itself,  from  its  affection  of  good,  was  called 
"  daughter"  and  "  virgin" — as  the  "  virgin  of  Zion,"  the  "  vir- 
gin of  Jerusalem" — and  also  "  wife."  But  on  these  subjects 
see  the  following  chapter,  at  verse  23,  and  chapter  iii.,  verse  15. 
55.  Verse  28.  And  God  blessed  them,  and  God  said  unto 
them,  Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish  the  earth,  and 
subdue  it;  and  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over 
the  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  over  every  living  thing  that  creepeth 
upon  the  earth.  As  the  most  ancient  people  called  the  conjunc- 
tion of  the  understanding  and  the  will,  or  of  faith  and  love,  a 
marriage,  everything  of  good  produced  from  that  marriage  they 
called  "  fructifications,"  and  everything  of  truth,  "  multiplica- 
tions." Hence  they  are  so  called  in  the  Prophets,  as  for  in- 
stance in  Ezekiel : — 

I  will  multiply  upon  you  man  and  beast,  and  they  shall  multiply  ana 
be  fruitful,  and  I  will  cause  you  to  dwell  as  in  your  ancient  times,  and 
will  do  better  unto  you  than  at  your  beginnings,  and  ye  shall  know  that 
I  am  Jehovah,  yea,  I  will  cause  man  to  walk  upon  you,  even  My  people 
Israel  (xxxvi.  11,  12). 

By  "  man"  is  here  meant  the  spiritual  man  who  is  called  Is- 
rael ;  by  "  ancient  times,"  the  Most  Ancient  Church ;  by  "  be- 
ginnings," the  Ancient  Church  after  the  flood.  The  reason 
why  "  multiplication,"  which  is  of  truth,  is  first  mentioned, 
VOL.  I.— 3 


34  GENESIS  [N.  55 

and  "  fructification,"  which  is  of  good,  afterwards,  is  that  the 
passage  treats  of  one  who  is  to  become  regenerated,  and  not  of 
one  who  is  already  regenerated.  [2]  When  the  understanding 
is  united  with  the  will,  or  faith  with  love,  the  man  is  called  by 
the  Lord  "  a  married  land,"  as  in  Isaiah : — 

Thy  land  shall  be  no  more  termed  waste,  but  thou  shalt  be  called 
Hephzi-bah  (My  delight  is  in  her),  and  thy  land  Beulah  (married),  for 
Jehovah  delighteth  in  thee,  and  thy  land  shall  be  married  (Ixii.  4). 

The  fruits  thence  issuing,  which  are  of  truth,  are  called  "  sons," 
and  those  which  are  of  good  are  called  "  daughters,"  and  this 
very  frequently  in  the  Word.  [3]  The  earth  is  "  replenished," 
or  filled,  when  there  are  many  truths  and  goods ;  for  when  the 
Lord  blesses  and  speaks  to  man,  that  is,  works  upon  him,  there 
is  an  immense  increase  of  good  and  truth,  as  the  Lord  says  in 
Matthew : — 

The  kingdom  of  the  heavens  is  like  to  a  grain  of  mustard-seed,  which 
a  man  took  and  sowed  in  his  field,  which  indeed  is  the  least  of  all  seeds, 
but  when  it  is  grown,  it  is  the  greatest  among  herbs,  and  becometh  a 
tree,  so  that  the  birds  of  the  heavens  come  and  build  their  nests  in  the 
branches  thereof  (xiii.  31,  32). 

A  "  grain  of  mustard-seed"  is  man's  good  before  he  becomes 
spiritual,  which  is  "  the  least  of  all  seeds,"  because  he  thinks 
that  he  does  good  of  himself,  and  what  is  of  himself  is  nothing 
but  evil.  But  as  he  is  in  a  state  of  regeneration,  there  is  some- 
thing of  good  in  him,  but  it  is  the  least  of  all.  [4]  At  length 
as  faith  is  joined  with  love  it  grows  larger,  and  becomes  an 
"  herb ;"  and  lastly,  when  the  conjunction  is  completed,  it  be- 
comes a  "  tree,"  and  then  the  "  birds  of  the  heavens"  (in  this 
passage  also  denoting  truths,  or  things  intellectual)  "  build  their 
nests  in  its  branches,"  which  are  memory-knowledges.  When 
man  is  spiritual,  as  well  as  during  the  time  of  his  becoming 
spiritual,  he  is  in  a  state  of  combat,  and  therefore  it  is  said, 
"  subdue  the  earth  and  have  dominion." 

56.  Verse  29.  And  God  said,  Behold,  I  give  you  every  herb 
bearing  seed  which  is  upon  the  faces  of  all  the  earth  ;  and  every 
tree  in  which  is  fruit ;  the  tree  yielding  seed,  to  you  it  shall  be 
for  food.  The  celestial  man  is  delighted  with  celestial  things 
alone,  which  being  in  agreement  with  his  life  are  called  celes- 
tial food.  The  spiritual  man  is  delighted  with  spiritual  things, 


N.  56]  CHAPTER  I.  VER.  29  35 

and  as  these  are  in  agreement  with  his  life  they  are  called  spir- 
itual food.  The  natural  man  in  like  manner  is  delighted  with 
natural  things,  which,  being  of  his  life,  are  called  food,  and  con- 
sist chiefly  of  memory-knowledges.  As  the  spiritual  man  is 
here  treated  of,  his  spiritual  food  is  described  by  representa- 
tives, as  by  the  "  herb  bearing  seed,"  and  by  the  "  tree  in  which 
is  fruit,"  which  are  called,  in  general,  the  "  tree  yielding  seed." 
His  natural  food  is  described  in  the  following  verse. 

57.  The  "herb  bearing  seed"  is  every  truth  which  regards 
use ;  the  "  tree  in  which  is  fruit"  is  the  good  of  faith ;  "  fruit" 
is  what  the  Lord  gives  to  the  celestial  man,  but  "  seed  pro- 
ducing fruit"  is  what  He  gives  to  the  spiritual  man  ;  and  there- 
fore it  is  said,  the  "  tree  yielding  seed,  to  you  it  shall  be  for 
food."     That  celestial  food  is  called  fruit  from  a  tree,  is  evident 
from  the  following  chapter,  where  the  celestial  man  is  treated 
of.     In  confirmation  of  this  we  will  here  cite  only  these  words 
of  the  Lord  from  Ezekiel : — 

By  the  river,  upon  the  bank  thereof,  on  this  side  and  on  that  side, 
there  cometh  up  every  tree  of  food,  whose  leaf  shall  not  fade,  neither 
shall  the  fruit  thereof  be  consumed  ;  it  is  born  again  in  its  month  ;  because 
these  its  waters  issue  out  of  the  sanctuary  ;  and  the  fruit  thereof  shall  be 
for  food,  and  the  leaf  thereof  for  medicine  (xlvii.  12). 

"  Waters  issuing  out  of  the  sanctuary,"  signify  the  life  and 
mercy  of  the  Lord,  who  is  the  "  sanctuary."  "  Fruit"  is  wis- 
dom, which  shall  be  food  for  them ;  the  "  leaf"  is  intelligence 
which  shall  be  for  their  use,  and  this  use  is  called  "  medicine." 
But  that  spiritual  food  is  called  "  herb,"  appears  from  David : — 

My  shepherd,  I  shall  not  want ;  Thou  makest  me  to  lie  down  in  pas- 
tures of  herb  (Ps.  xxiii.  1,  2). 

58.  Verse  30.  And  to  every  wild  animal  of  the  earth,  and  to 
every  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  to  everything  that  creepeth  upon 
the  earth,  wherein  there  is  a  living  soul,  I  give  every  green  herb 
for  food  ;  and  it  was  so.     The  natural  meat  of  the  same  man 
is  here  described.     His  natural  is  signified  by  the  "  wild  animal 
of  the  earth"  and  by  the  "  fowl  of  the  heavens,"  to  which  there 
are  given  for  food  the  vegetable  and  the  green  of  the  herb. 
Both  his  natural  and  his  spiritual  food  are  thus  described  in 
David : — 


36  GENESIS  [N.  58 

Jehovah  causeth  the  grass  to  grow  for  the  beast,  and  herb  for  the  ser- 
vice of  man,  that  he  may  bring  forth  bread  out  of  the  earth  (Ps.  civ.  14), 

where  the  term  "  beast"  is  used  to  express  both  the  wild  animal 
of  the  earth  and  the  fowl  of  the  heavens  which  are  mentioned 
in  verses  11  and  12  of  the  same  Psalm. 

59.  The  reason  why  the  "vegetable  and  the  green  of  the 
herb"  only  are  here  described  as  food  for  the  natural  man,  is 
this.  In  the  course  of  regeneration,  when  man  is  being  made 
spiritual,  he  is  continually  engaged  in  combat,  on  which  account 
the  church  of  the  Lord  is  called  "  militant ;"  for  before  regen- 
eration cupidities  have  the  dominion,  because  the  whole  man  is 
composed  of  mere  cupidities  and  the  falsities  thence  derived. 
During  regeneration  these  cupidities  and  falsities  cannot  be 
instantaneously  abolished,  for  this  would  be  to  destroy  the 
whole  man,  such  being  the  only  life  which  he  has  acquired ;  and 
therefore  evil .  spirits  are  suffered  to  continue  with  him  for  a 
long  time,  that  they  may  excite  his  cupidities,  and  that  these 
may  thus  be  loosened,  in  innumerable  ways,  even  to  such  a 
degree  that  they  can  be  inclined  by  the  Lord  to  good,  and  the 
man  be  thus  reformed.  In  the  time  of  combat,  the  evil  spirits, 
who  bear  the  utmost  hatred  against  all  that  is  good  and  true, 
that  is,  against  whatever  is  of  love  and  faith  toward  the  Lord 
— which  things  alone  are  good  and  true,  because  they  have 
eternal  life  in  them — leave  the  man  nothing  else  for  food  but 
what  is  compared  to  the  vegetable  and  the  green  of  the  herb ; 
nevertheless  the  Lord  gives  him  also  a  food  which  is  compared 
to  the  herb  bearing  seed,  and  to  the  tree  in  which  is  fruit,  which 
are  states  of  tranquillity  and  peace,  with  their  joys  and  de- 
lights ;  and  this  food  the  Lord  gives  the  man  at  intervals.  [2] 
Unless  the  Lord  defended  man  every  moment,  yea,  even  the 
smallest  part  of  every  moment,  he  would  instantly  perish,  in 
consequence  of  the  indescribably  intense  and  mortal  hatred 
which  prevails  in  the  world  of  spirits  against  the  things  re- 
lating to  love  and  faith  toward  the  Lord.  The  certainty  of 
this  fact  I  can  affirm,  having  been  now  for  some  years  (not- 
withstanding my  remaining  in  the  body)  associated  with  spirits 
in  the  other  life,  even  with  the  worst  of  them,  and  I  have  some- 
times been  surrounded  by  thousands,  to  whom  it  was  permitted 
to  spit  forth  their  venom,  and  infest  me  by  all  possible  methods, 


N.  59]  CHAPTER   I.  VER.  30  37 

yet  without  their  being  able  to  hurt  a  single  hair  of  my  head, 
so  secure  was  I  under  the  Lord's  protection.  From  so  many 
years'  experience  I  have  been  thoroughly  instructed  concerning 
the  world  of  spirits  and  its  nature,  as  well  as  concerning  the 
combat  which  those  being  regenerated  must  needs  endure,  in 
order  to  attain  the  happiness  of  eternal  life.  But  as  no  one  can 
be  so  well  instructed  in  such  subjects  by  a  general  description 
as  to  believe  them  with  an  un  doubting  faith,  the  particulars  will 
of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  be  related  in  the  following  pages. 

60.  Verse  31.  And  God  saw  -everything  that  He  had  made, 
and  behold  it  was  very  good.     And  the  evening  and  the  -morning 
were  the  sixth  day.     This    state   is    called  "very  good,"  the 
former  ones  being  merely  called  "  good ;"    because  now  the 
things  which  are  of  faith  make  a  one  with  those  which  are  of 
love,  and  thus  a  marriage  is  effected  between  spiritual  things 
and  celestial  things. 

61.  All  things  relating  to  the  knowledges  of  faith  are  called 
spiritual,  and  all  that  are  of  love  to  the  Lord  and  our  neighbor 
are  called  celestial ;  the  former  belong  to  man's  understanding, 
and  the  latter  to  his  will. 

62.  The  times  and  states  of  man's  regeneration  in  general 
and  in  particular  are  divided  into  six,  and  are  called  the  days 
of  his  creation ;  for,  by  degrees,  from  being  not  a  man  at  all, 
he  becomes  at  first  something  of  one,  and  so  by  little  and  little 
attains  to  the  sixth  day,  in  which  he  becomes  an  image  of  God. 

63.  Meanwhile  the  Lord  continually  fights  for  him  against 
evils  and  falsities,  and  by  combats  confirms  him  in  truth  and 
good.     The  time  of  combat  is  the  time  of  the  Lord's  working ; 
and  therefore  in  the  Prophets  the  regenerate  man  is  called 
the  work  of  the  fingers  of  God.     Nor  does  He  rest  until  love 
acts  as  principal ;  then  the  combat  ceases.    When  the  work  has 
so  far  advanced  that  faith  is  conjoined  with  love,  it  is  called 
"  very  good ;"  because  the  Lord  then  actuates  him,  as  His  like- 
ness.    At  the  end  of  the  sixth  day  the  evil  spirits  depart,  and 
good  spirits  take  their  place,  and  the  man  is  introduced  into 
heaven,  or  into  the  celestial  paradise ;  concerning  which  in  the 
following  chapter. 

64.  This  then  is  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word,  its  veriest 
life,  which  does  not  at  all  appear  from  the  sense  of  the  letter. 


38  GENESIS  [N.  64 

But  so  many  are  its  arcana  that  volumes  would  not  suffice  for 
the  unfolding  of  them.  A  very  few  only  are  here  set  forth,  and 
those  such  as  may  confirm  the  fact  that  regeneration  is  here 
treated  of,  and  that  this  proceeds  from  the  external  man  to  the 
internal.  It  is  thus  that  the  angels  perceive  the  Word.  They 
know  nothing  at  all  of  what  is  in  the  letter,  not  even  the  proxi- 
mate meaning  of  a  single  word ;  still  less  do  they  know  the 
names  of  the  countries,  cities,  rivers,  and  persons,  that  occur  so 
frequently  in  the  historical  and  prophetical  parts  of  the  Word. 
They  have  an  idea  only  of  the  things  signified  by  the  words  and 
the  names.  Thus  by  Adam  in  paradise  they  perceive  the  Most 
Ancient  Church,  yet  not  that  church,  but  the  faith  in  the  Lord 
of  that  church.  By  Noah  they  perceive  the  church  that  re- 
mained with  the  descendants  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  and 
that  continued  to  the  time  of  Abram.  By  Abraham  they  by 
no  means  perceive  that  individual,  but  a  saving  faith,  which  he 
represented;  and  so  on.  Thus  they  perceive  spiritual  and 
celestial  things  entirely  apart  from  the  words  and  names. 

65.  Certain  ones  were  taken  up  to  the  first  entrance-court  of 
heaven,  when  I  was  reading  the  Word,  and  from  there  con- 
versed with  me.     They  said  they  could  not  there  understand 
one  whit  of  any  word  or  letter  therein,  but  only  what  was  sig- 
nified in  the  nearest  interior  sense,  which  they  declared  to  be 
so  beautiful,  in  such  order  of  sequence,  and  so  affecting  them, 
that  they  called  it  Glory. 

66.  There  are  in  the  Word,  in  general,  four  different  styles. 
The  first  is  that  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church.     Their  mode  of 
expression  was  such  that  when  they  mentioned  terrestrial  and 
worldly  things  they  thought  of   the  spiritual  and  celestial 
things  which  these  represented.     They  therefore  not  only  ex- 
pressed themselves  by  representatives,  but  also  formed  these 
into  a  kind  of  historical  series,  in  order  to  give  them  more  life  ; 
and  this  was  to  them  delightful  in  the  very  highest  degree. 
This  is  the  style  of  which  Hannah  prophesied,  saying : — 

Speak  what  is  high  !  high  !     Let  what  is  ancient  come  out  of  your 
mouth  (1  Sam.  ii.  3). 

Such  representatives  are  called  in  David,  "Dark  sayings  of 
old"  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  2-4).     These  particulars  concerning  the  ere- 


N.  66]  CHAPTER  I.  39 

ation,  the  garden  of  Eden,  etc.,  down  to  the  time  of  Abram, 
Moses  had  from  the  descendants  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church. 
[2]  The  second  style  is  historical,  which  is  found  in  the  books 
of  Moses  from  the  time  of  Abram  onward,  and  in  those  of 
Joshua,  Judges,  Samuel,  and  the  Kings.  In  these  books  the 
historical  facts  are  just  as  they  appear  in  the  sense  of  the 
letter ;  and  yet  they  all  contain,  in  both  general  and  particular, 
quite  other  things  in  the  internal  sense,  of  which,  by  the  Lord's 
Divine  mercy,  in  their  order  in  the  following  pages.  The  third 
style  is  the  prophetical  one,  which  was  born  of  that  which  was 
so  highly  venerated  in  the  Most  Ancient  Church.  This  style 
however  is  not  in  connected  and  historical  form  like  the  most 
ancient  style,  but  is  broken,  and  is  scarcely  ever  intelligible 
except  in  the  internal  sense,  wherein  are  deepest  arcana,  which 
follow  in  beautiful  connected  order,  and  relate  to  the  external 
and  the  internal  man ;  to  the  many  states  of  the  church ;  to 
heaven  itself ;  and  in  the  inmost  sense  to  the  Lord.  The  fourth 
style  is  that  of  the  Psalms  of  David,  which  is  intermediate  be- 
tween the  prophetical  style  and  that  of  common  speech.  The 
Lord  is  there  treated  of  in  the  internal  sense,  under  the  person 
of  David  as  a  king. 


CHAPTER  THE  SECOND. 

67.  As  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  it  has  been  given  me  to 
know  the  internal  meaning  of  the  Word,  in  which  are  con- 
tained deepest  arcana  that  have  not  before  come  to  any  one's 
knowledge,  nor  can  come  unless  the  nature  of  the  other  life  is 
known  (for  very  many  things  of  the  Word's  internal  sense  have 
regard  to,  describe,  and  involve  those  of  that  life),  I  am  per- 
mitted to  disclose  what  I  have  heard  and  seen  during  some 
years  in  which  it  has  been  granted  me  to  be  in  the  company 
of  spirits  and  angels. 

68.  I  am  well  aware  that  many  will  say  that  no  one  can  pos- 
sibly speak  with  spirits  and  angels  so  long  as  he  lives  in  the 
body ;  and  many  will  say  that  it  is  all  fancy,  others  that  I  re- 
late such  things  in  order  to  gain  credence,  and  others  will  make 


40  GENESIS  [N.  68 

other  objections.     But  by  all  this  I  am  not  deterred,  for  I  have 
seen,  I  have  heard,  I  have  felt. 

69.  Man  was  so  created  by  the  Lord  as  to  be  able  while 
living  in  the  body  to  speak  with  spirits  and  angels,  as  in  fact 
was  done  in  the  most  ancient  times  ;  for,  being  a  spirit  clothed 
with  a  body,  he  is  one  with  them.     But  because  in  process  of 
time  men  so  immersed  themselves  in  corporeal  and  worldly 
things  as  to  care  almost  nothing  for  aught  besides,  the  way  was 
closed.      Yet  as  soon  as  the  corporeal  things  recede  in  which 
man  is  immersed,  the  way  is  again  opened,  and  he  is  among 
spirits,  and  in  a  common  life  with  them. 

70.  As  it  is  permitted  me  to  disclose  what  for  several  years 
I  have  heard  and  seen,  it  shall  here  be  told,  first,  how  the  case 
is  with  man  when  he  is  being  resuscitated ;  or  how  he  enters 
from  the  life  of  the  body  into  the  life  of  eternity.     In  order  that 
I  might  know  that  men  live  after  death,  it  has  been  given  me 
to  speak  and  be  in  company  with  many  who  were  known  to  me 
during  their  life  in  the  body  ;  and  this  not  merely  for  a  day  or 
a  week,  but  for  months,  and  almost  a  year,  speaking  and  asso- 
ciating with  them  just  as  in  this  world.     They  wondered  ex- 
ceedingly that  while  they  lived  in  the  body  they  were,  and  that 
very  many  others  are,  in  such  incredulity  as  to  believe  that  they 
will  not  live  after  death ;  when  in  fact  scarcely  a  day  intervenes 
after  the  death  of  the  body  before  they  are  in  the  other  life ; 
for  death  is  a  continuation  of  life. 

71.  But  as  these  matters  would  be  scattered  and  discon- 
nected if  inserted  among  those  contained  in  the  text  of  the 
Word,  it  is  permitted,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy,  to  append 
them  in  some  order,  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  each  chapter ; 
besides  those  which  are  introduced  incidentally. 

72.  At  the  end  of  this  chapter,  accordingly,  I  am  allowed  to 
tell  how  man  is  raised  from  the  dead  and  enters  into  the  life 
of  eternity. 


N.  72]  CHAPTER  II.  41 


CHAPTER  II. 

1.  And  the  heavens  and  the  earth  were  finished,  and  all  the 
army  of  them. 

2.  And  on  the  seventh  day  God  finished  His  work  which  He 
had  made ;  and  He  rested  on  the  seventh  day  from  all  His  work 
which  He  had  made. 

3.  And    God   blessed   the   seventh   day,  and   hallowed   it, 
because  that  in  it  He  rested  from  all  His  work  which  God  in 
making  created. 

4.  These  are  the  nativities  of  the  heavens  and  of  the  earth 
when  He  created  them,  in  the  day  in  which  Jehovah  God  made 
the  earth  and  the  heavens. 

5.  And  there  was  no  shrub  of  the  field  as  yet  in  the  earth, 
and  there  was  no  herb  of  the  field  as  yet  growing,  because 
Jehovah  God  had  not  caused  it  to  rain  upon  the  earth.     And 
there  was  no  man  to  till  the  ground. 

6.  And  He  made  a  mist  to  ascend  from  the  earth,  and  wa- 
tered all  the  faces  of  the  ground. 

7.  And  Jehovah  God  formed  man,  dust  from  the  ground, 
and  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  lives,  and  man 
became  a  living  soul. 

8.  And  Jehovah  God  planted  a  garden  eastward  in  Eden, 
and  there  He  put  the  man  whom  He  had  formed. 

9.  And  out  of  the  ground  made  Jehovah  God  to  grow  every 
tree  desirable  to  behold,  and  good  for  food ;  the  tree  of  lives 
also,  in  the  midst  of  the  garden ;  and  the  tree  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  good  and  evil. 

10.  And  a  river  went  out  of  Eden  to  water  the  garden,  and 
from  thence  it  was  parted,  and  was  into  four  heads. 

11.  The  name  of  the  first  is  Pishon ;  that  is  it  which  com- 
passeth  the  whole  land  of  Havilah,  where  there  is  gold. 

12.  And  the  gold  of  that  land  is  good ;  there  is  bdellium 
and  the  onyx  stone. 

13.  And  the  name  of  the  second  river  is  Gihon ;  the  .same 
is  it  that  compasseth  the  whole  land  of  Gush. 


42  GENESIS  [N.  73 

14.  And  the  name  of  the  third  river  is  Hiddekel ;  that  is  it 
which  goeth  eastward  toward  Assyria ;  and  the  fourth  river  is 
Euphrates. 

15.  And  Jehovah  God  took  the  man,  and  put  him  in  the 
garden  of  Eden,  to  till  it  and  take  care  of  it. 

16.  And  Jehovah   God  commanded  the  man,   saying,   Of 
every  tree  of  the  garden  eating  thou  mayest  eat. 

17.  But  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  thou 
shalt  not  eat  of  it ;  for  in  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof,  dying 
thou  shalt  die. 


THE   CONTENTS. 

73.  When  from  being  dead  a  man  has  become  spiritual, 
then  from  spiritual  he  becomes  celestial,  as  is  now  treated  of 
(verse  1). 

74.  The  celestial  man  is  the  seventh  day,  on  which  the  Lord 
rests  (verses  2,  3). 

75.  His  knowledge  and  his  rationality  (scientificum  et  ratio- 
nale ejiis)  are  described  by  the  shrub  and  the  herb  out  of  the 
ground  watered  by  the  mist  (verses  5,  6). 

76.  His  life  is  described  by  the  breathing  into  him  of  the 
breath  of  lives  (verse  7). 

77.  Afterwards  his  intelligence  is  described  by  the  garden 
in  Eden,  in  the  east ;  in  which  the  trees  pleasant  to  the  sight 
are  perceptions  of  truth,  and  the  trees  good  for  food  are  per- 
ceptions of  good.     Love  is  meant  by  the  tree  of  lives,  faith  by 
the  tree  of  knowledge  (scientiae)  (verses  8,  9). 

78.  Wisdom  is  meant  by  the  river  in  the  garden.     From 
thence  were  four  rivers,  the  first  of  which  is  good  and  truth ; 
the  second  is  the  knowledge  (cognitio)  of  all  things  of  good  and 
truth,  or  of  love  and  faith.     These  are  of  the  internal  man. 
The  third  is  reason,  and  the  fourth  is  memory -knowledge  (sci- 
entia),  which  are  of  the  external  man.     All  are  from  wisdom, 
and  this  is  from  love  and  faith  in  the  Lord  (verses  10-14). 

79.  The  celestial  man  is  such  a  garden.    But  as  the  garden 
is  the  Lord's,  it  is  permitted  this  man  to  enjoy  all  these  things, 
and  yet  not  to  possess  them  as  his  own  (verse  15). 


N.  80]  CONTENTS  43 

80.  He  is  also  permitted  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  what  is 
good  and  true  by  means  of  every  perception  from  the  Lord,  but 
he  must  not  do  so  from  himself  and  the  world,  nor  search  into 
the  mysteries  of  faith  by  means  of  the  things  of  sense  and  of 
memory-knowledge  (sensualia  et  scientifica) ;  which  would  cause 
the  death  of  his  celestial  nature  (verses  16,  17). 


THE   INTERNAL   SENSE. 

81.  This  chapter  treats  of  the  celestial  man,  as  the  preceding 
one  did  of  the  spiritual,  who  was  formed  out  of  a  dead  man. 
But  as  it  is  unknown  at  this  day  what  the  celestial  man  is,  and 
scarcely  what  the  spiritual  man  is,  or  a  dead  man,  it  is  permitted 
me  briefly  to  state  the  nature  of  each,  that  the  difference  may 
be  known.  First,  then,  a  dead  man  acknowledges  nothing  to 
be  true  and  good  but  what  belongs  to  the  body  and  the  world, 
and  this  he  adores.  A  spiritual  man  acknowledges  spiritual 
and  celestial  truth  and  good ;  but  he  does  so  from  a  principle 
of  faith,  which  is  likewise  the  ground  of  his  actions,  and  not 
so  much  from  love.  A  celestial  man  believes  and  perceives 
spiritual  and  celestial  truth  and  good,  acknowledging  no  other 
faith  than  that  which  is  from  love,  from  which  also  he  acts. 
[2]  Secondly :  The  ends  which  influence  a  dead  man  regard  only 
corporeal  and  worldly  life,  nor  does  he  know  what  eternal  life 
is,  or  what  the  Lord  is ;  or  should  he  know,  he  does  not  believe. 
The  ends  which  influence  a  spiritual  man  regard  eternal  life, 
and  thereby  the  Lord.  The  ends  which  influence  a  celestial 
man  regard  the  Lord,  and  thereby  His  kingdom  and  eternal  life. 
[3]  Thirdly:  A  dead  man,  when  in  combat  almost  always 
yields,  and  when  not  in  combat,  evils  and  falsities  have  domin- 
ion over  him,  and  he  is  a  slave.  His  bonds  are  external,  such 
as  the  fear  of  the  law,  of  the  loss  of  life,  of  wealth,  of  gain,  and 
of  the  reputation  which  he  values  for  their  sake.  The  spiritual 
man  is  in  combat,  but  is  always  victorious  ;  the  bonds  by  which 
he  is  restrained  are  internal,  and  are  called  the  bonds  of  con- 
science. The  celestial  man  is  not  in  combat,  and  when  assaulted 
by  evils  and  falsities,  he  despises  them,  and  is  therefore  called 


44  GENESIS  [N.  81 

a  conqueror.  He  is  apparently  restrained  by  no  bonds,  but  is 
free.  His  bonds,  which  are  not  apparent,  are  perceptions  of 
good  and  truth. 

82.  Verse  1.  And  the  heavens  and  the  earth  were  finished, 
and  all  the  army  of  them.     By  these  words  is  meant  that  man 
is  now  rendered  so  far  spiritual  as  to  have  become  the  "  sixth 
day  ;"  "  heaven"  is  his  internal  man,  and  "  earth"  his  external ; 
"the  army  of  them"  are  love,  faith,  and  the  knowledges  thereof, 
which  were  previously  signified  by  the  great  luminaries  and 
the  stars.     That  the  internal  man  is  called  "  heaven,"  and  the 
external  "  earth,"  is  evident  from  the  passages  of  the  Word  al- 
ready cited  in  the  preceding  chapter,  to  which  may  be  added 
the  following  from  Isaiah : — 

I  will  make  a  man  more  rare  than  solid  gold,  even  a  man  than  the 
precious  gold  of  Ophir ;  therefore  I  will  smite  the  heavens  with  terror, 
and  the  earth  shall  be  shaken  out  of  its  place  (xiii.  12,  13). 

Thou  f orgettest  Jehovah  thy  Maker,  that  stretcheth  forth  the  heavens, 
and  layeth  the  foundations  of  the  earth  ;  but  I  will  put  My  words  in 
thy  mouth,  and  I  will  hide  thee  in  the  shadow  of  My  hand,  that  I  may 
stretch  out  the  heaven,  and  lay  the  foundation  of  the  earth  (li.  13,  16). 

From  these  words  it  is  evident  that  both  "  heaven"  and  "  earth" 
are  predicated  of  man;  for  although  they  refer  primarily  to 
the  Most  Ancient  Church,  yet  the  interiors  of  the  Word  are 
of  such  a  nature  that  whatever  is  said  of  the  church  may  also 
be  said  of  every  individual  member  of  it,  who,  unless  he  were 
a  church,  could  not  possibly  be  a  part  of  the  church,  just  as 
he  who  is  not  a  temple  of  the  Lord  cannot  be  what  is  signi- 
fied by  the  temple,  namely,  the  church  and  heaven.  It  is  for 
this  reason  that  the  Most  Ancient  Church  is  called  "  man,"  in 
the  singular  number. 

83.  The  "heavens  and  the  earth  and  all  the  army  of  them" 
are  said  to  be  "finished,"  when  man  has  become  the  "sixth 
day,"  for  then  faith  and  love  make  a  one.    When  they  do  this, 
love,  and  not  faith,  or  in  other  words  the  celestial  principle, 
and  not  the  spiritual,  begins  to  be  the  principal,    and  this  is  to 
be  a  celestial  man. 

84.  Verses  2,  3.  And  on  the  seventh  day  God  finished  His 
work  which  He  had  made ;  and  He  rested  on  the  seventh  day 


N.  84]  CHAPTER  II.  VERS.  2,  3  45 

from  all  His  work  which  He  had  made.  And  God  blessed  the 
seventh  day,  and  hallowed  it ;  because  that  in  it  He  rested  from 
all  His  work  which  God  in  making  created.  The  celestial  man 
is  the  "  seventh  day,"  which,  as  the  Lord  has  worked  during 
the  six  days,  is  called  "  His  work ;"  and  as  all  combat  then 
ceases,  the  Lord  is  said  to  "  rest  from  all  His  work."  On  this 
account  the  seventh  day  was  sanctified,  and  called  the  Sabbath, 
from  a  Hebrew  word  meaning  "  rest."  And  thus  was  man 
created,  formed,  and  made.  These  things  are  very  evident 
from  the  words. 

85.  That  the  celestial  man  is  the  "seventh  day,"  and  that 
the  seventh  day  was  therefore  hallowed,  and  called  the  Sabbath, 
are  arcana  which  have  not  hitherto  been  discovered.  For  none 
have  been  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the  celestial  man,  and 
few  with  that  of  the  spiritual  man,  whom  in  consequence  of 
this  ignorance  they  have  made  to  be  the  same  as  the  celestial 
man,  notwithstanding  the  great  difference  that  exists  between 
them,  as  may  be  seen  in  n.  81.  As  regards  the  seventh  day, 
and  as  regards  the  celestial  man  being  the  "  seventh  day"  or 
"  Sabbath,"  this  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  the  Lord  Him- 
self is  the  Sabbath ;  and  therefore  He  says  : — 

The  Son  of  man  is  Lord  also  of  the  Sabbath  (Mark  ii.  27), 

which  words  imply  that  the  Lord  is  Man  himself,  and  the  Sab- 
bath itself.  His  kingdom  in  the  heavens  and  on  the  earth  is 
called,  from  Him,  a  Sabbath,  or  eternal  peace  and  rest.  [2] 
The  Most  Ancient  Church,  which  is  here  treated  of,  was  the 
Sabbath  of  the  Lord  above  all  that  succeeded  it.  Every  sub- 
sequent inmost  church  of  the  Lord  is  also  a  Sabbath ;  and  so  is 
every  regenerate  person  when  he  becomes  celestial,  because  he 
is  a  likeness  of  the  Lord.  The  six  days  of  combat  or  labor 
precede.  These  things  were  represented  in  the  Jewish  Church 
by  the  days  of  labor,  and  by  the  seventh  day,  which  was  the 
Sabbath  ;  for  in  that  church  there  was  nothing  instituted  which 
was  not  representative  of  the  Lord  and  of  His  kingdom.  The 
like  was  also  represented  by  the  ark  when  it  went  forward, 
and  when  it  rested,  for  by  its  journey  ings  in  the  wilderness 
were  represented  combats  and  temptations,  and  by  its  rest  a 
state  of  peace ;  and  therefore,  when  it  set  forward,  Moses  said : — 


46  GENESIS  [N.  85 

Rise  up,  Jehovah,  and  let  Thine  enemies  be  scattered,  and  let  them 
that  hate  Thee  flee  before  Thy  faces.  And  when  it  rested,  he  said,  Re- 
turn, Jehovah,  unto  the  ten  thousands  of  the  thousands  of  Israel  (Num. 
x.  35,  36). 

It  is  there,  said  of  the  ark  that  it  went  from  the  Mount  of  Je- 
hovah "  to  search  out  a  rest  for  them"  (verse  33).  [3]  The  rest 
of  the  celestial  man  is  described  by  the  Sabbath  in  Isaiah  :— 

If  thou  bring  back  thy  foot  from  the  Sabbath,  so  that  thou  doest  not 
thy  desire  in  the  day  of  My  holiness,  and  callest  the  things  of  the  Sabbath 
delights  to  the  holy  of  Jehovah,  honorable  ;  and  shall  honor  it,  not  doing 
thine  own  ways,  nor  finding  thine  own  desire,  nor  speaking  a  word  ;  then 
shalt  thou  be  delightful  to  Jehovah,  and  I  will  cause  thee  to  be  borne  over 
the  lofty  things  of  the  earth,  and  will  feed  thee  with  the  heritage  of 
Jacob  (Iviii.  13,  14). 

Such  is  the  quality  of  the  celestial  man  that  he  acts  not  accord- 
ing to  his  own  desire,  but  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  the 
Lord,  which  is  his  "  desire."  Thus  he  enjoys  internal  peace 
and  happiness — here  expressed  by  "  being  uplifted  over  the 
lofty  things  of  the  earth" — and  at  the  same  time  external  tran- 
quillity and  delight,  which  is  signified  by  "  being  fed  with  the 
heritage  of  Jacob." 

86.  When  the  spiritual  man,  who  has  become  the  "sixth 
day,"  is  beginning  to  be  celestial,  which  state  is  here  first  treated 
of,  it  is  the  "  eve  of  the  Sabbath,"  represented  in  the  Jewish 
Church  by  the  keeping  holy  of  the  Sabbath  from  the  evening. 
The  celestial  man  is  the  "  morning"  to  be  spoken  of  presently. 

87.  Another  reason  why  the  celestial  man  is  the  "  Sabbath," 
or  "  rest,"  is  that  combat  ceases  when  he  becomes  celestial.    The 
evil  spirits  retire,  and  good  ones  approach,  as  well  as  celestial 
angels ;  and  when  these  are  present,  evil  spirits  cannot  pos- 
sibly remain,  but  flee  far  away.     And  since  it  was  not  the  man 
himself  who  carried  on  the  combat,  but  the  Lord  alone  for  the 
man,  it  is  said  that  the  Lord  "  rested." 

88.  When  the  spiritual  man  becomes  celestial,  he  is  called 
the  "  work  of  God,"  because  the  Lord  alone  has  fought  for  him, 
and  has  created,  formed,  and  made  him ;  and  therefore  it  is 
here  said,  "  God  finished  His  work  on  the  seventh  day ;"  and 
twice,  that  "  He  rested  from  all  His  work."     By  the  Prophets 
man  is  repeatedly  called  the  "  work  of  the  hands  and  of  th& 


N.  88]  CHAPTER  II.  VERS.  2,  3  47 

fingers  of  Jehovah ;"  as  in  Isaiah,  speaking  of  the  regenerate 
man : — 

Thus  hath  said  Jehovah  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  and  his  Former, 
Seek  ye  signs  of  Me,  signs  concerning  My  sons,  and  concerning  the  work 
of  My  hands  command  ye  Me.  I  have  made  the  earth,  and  created  man 
upon  it ;  I,  even  My  hands  have  stretched  out  the  heavens,  and  all  their 
army  have  I  commanded.  For  thus  hath  said  Jehovah  that  createth  the 
heavens,  God  Himself  that  formeth  the  earth  and  maketh  it ;  He  estab- 
lisheth  it,  He  created  it  not  a  void,  He  formed  it  to  be  inhabited  ;  I  am 
Jehovah  and  there  is  no  God  else  besides  Me  (xlv.  11,  12,  18,  21). 

Hence  it  is  evident  that  the  new  creation,  or  regeneration,  is 
the  work  of  the  Lord  alone.  The  expressions  to  "  create,"  to 
"  form,"  and  to  "  make,"  are  employed  quite  distinctively,  both 
in  the  above  passage — "creating  the  heavens,  forming  the 
earth,  and  making  it" — and  in  other  places  in  the  same 
Prophet,  as  : — 

Every  one  that  is  called  by  My  name,  I  have  created  him  for  My  glory, 
1  have  formed  him,  yea,  I  have  made  him  (xliii.  7), 

and  also  in  both  the  preceding  and  this  chapter  of  Genesis  ; 
as  in  the  passage  before  us :  "  He  rested  from  all  His  work 
which  God  in  making  created."  In  the  internal  sense  this 
usage  always  conveys  a  distinct  idea ;  and  the  case  is  the  same 
where  the  Lord  is  called  "  Creator,"  "  Former,"  or  "  Maker." 

89.  Verse  4.  These  are  the  nativities  of  the  heavens  and  of 
the  earth,  when  He  created  them,  in  the  day  in  which  Jehovah 
God  made  the  earth  and  the  heavens.  The  "  nativities  of  the 
heavens  and  of  the  earth,"  are  the  formations  of  the  celestial 
man.  That  his  formation  is  here  treated  of  is  very  evident 
from  all  the  particulars  which  follow,  as  that  no  herb  was  as 
yet  growing ;  that  there  was  no  man  to  till  the  ground,  as  well 
as  that  Jehovah  God  formed  man,  and  afterwards,  that  He 
made  every  beast  and  bird  of  the  heavens,  notwithstanding 
that  the  formation  of  these  had  been  treated  of  in  the  fore- 
going chapter ;  from  all  which  it  is  manifest  that  another  man 
is  here  treated  of.  This  however  is  still  more  evident  from 
the  fact,  that  now  for  the  first  time  the  Lord  is  called  "  Jehovah 
God,"  whereas  in  the  preceding  passages,  which  treat  of  the 
spiritual  man,  He  is  called  simply  "  God ;"  and,  further,  that 
now  "  ground"  and  "  field"  are  mentioned,  while  in  the  pre- 


48  GENESIS  [N.  89 

ceding  passages  only  "  earth"  is  mentioned.  In  this  verse  also 
"  heaven"  is  first  mentioned  before  "  earth,"  and  afterwards 
"  earth"  before  "  heaven ;"  the  reason  of  which  is  that  "  earth" 
signifies  the  external  man,  and  "  heaven"  the  internal,  and  in 
the  spiritual  man  reformation  begins  from  "earth,"  that  is, 
from  the  external  man,  while  in  the  celestial  man,  who  is  here 
treated  of,  it  begins  from  the  internal  man,  or  from  "  heaven." 

90.  Verses  5,  6.  And  there  was  no  shrub  of  the  field  as  yet 
in  the  earth,  and  there  was  no  herb  of  the  field  as  yet  growing, 
because  Jehovah  God  had  not  caused  it  to  rain  upon  the  earth  ; 
and  there  was  no  'man  to  till  the  ground.     And  He  made  a  mist 
to  ascend  from  the    earth,  and  watered  all  the  faces  of   the 
ground.     By  the  "  shrub  of  the  field,"  and  the  "  herb  of  the 
field,"  are  meant  in  general  all  that  his  external  man  produces. 
The  external  man  is  called  "  earth"  while  he  remains  spiritual, 
but  "ground"  and  also  "field"  when  he  becomes    celestial. 
"  Rain,"  which  is  soon  after  called  "  mist,"  is  the  tranquillity 
of  peace  when  combat  ceases. 

91.  But  what  these  things  involve  cannot  possibly  be  per- 
ceived iinless  it  is  known  what  man's  state  is  while  from  being 
spiritual  he  is  becoming  celestial,  for  they  are  deeply  hidden. 
While  he  is  spiritual,  the  external  man  is  not  yet  willing  to 
yield  obedience  to  and  serve  the  internal,  and  therefore  there 
is  a  combat ;  but  when  he  becomes  celestial,  then  the  external 
man  begins  to  obey  and  serve  the  internal,  and  therefore  the 
combat  ceases,  and  tranquillity  ensues.     (See  n.  87.)     This 
tranquillity  is  signified  by  "  rain"  and  "  mist,"  for  it  is  like  a 
vapor  with  which  the  external  man  is  watered  and  bedewed 
from  the  internal ;  and  it  is  this  tranquillity,  the  offspring  of 
peace,  which  produces  what  are  called  the  "  shrub  of  the  field," 
and  the  "  herb  of  the  field,"  which,  specifically,  are  things  of 
the  rational  mind  and  of  the  memory  (raiionalia  et  scientifica) 
from  a  celestial  spiritual  origin. 

92.  The  nature  of  the  tranquillity  of  peace  of  the  external 
man,  on  the  cessation  of  combat,  or  of  the  unrest  caused  by 
cupidities  and  falsities,  can  be  known  only  to  those  who  are  ac- 
quainted with  a  state  of  peace.    This  state  is  so  delightful  that 
it  surpasses  every  idea  of  delight :  it  is  not  only  a  cessation  of 
Combat,  but  is  life  proceeding  from  interior  peace,  and  affect- 


N.  92]  CHAPTER   II.  VERS.  5,  6  49 

ing  the  external  man  in  such  a  manner  as  cannot  be  described ; 
the  truths  of  faith,  and  the  goods  of  love,  which  derive  theii 
life  from  the  delight  of  peace,  are  then  born. 

93.  The  state  of  the  celestial  man,  thus  gifted  with  the  tran- 
quillity of  peace — refreshed  by  the  rain — and  delivered  from 
the  slavery  of  what  is  evil  and  false,  is  thus  described  by  the 
Lord  in  Ezekiel : — 

I  will  make  with  them  a  covenant  of  peace,  and  will  cause  the  evil  wild 
beast  to  cease  out  of  the  land,  and  they  shall  dwell  confidently  in  the 
wilderness,  and  sleep  in  the  woods  ;  and  I  will  make  them  and  the  places 
round  about  My  hill  a  blessing ;  and  I  will  cause  the  rain  to  come  down 
in  his  season  ;  rains  of  blessing  shall  they  be.  And  the  tree  of  the  field 
shall  yield  its  fruit,  and  the  earth  shall  yield  its  increase,  and  they  shall 
be  upon  their  ground  in  confidence,  and  shall  know  that  I  am  Jehovah, 
when  I  have  broken  the  reins  of  their  yoke,  and  delivered  them  out  of 
the  hand  of  those  that  make  them  to  serve  them  ;  and  ye  My  flock,  the 
flock  of  My  pasture,  ye  are  a  man,  and  I  am  your  God  (xxxiv.  25-27,  31). 

And  that  this  is  effected  on  the  "  third  day,"  which  in  the  Word 
signifies  the  same  as  the  "seventh,"  is  thus  declared  in 
Hosea : — 

After  two  days  will  He  vivify  us  ;  in  the  third  day  He  will  raise  us  up, 
and  we  shall  live  before  Him  ;  and  we  shall  know,  and  shall  follow  on  to 
know  Jehovah  :  His  going  forth  is  prepared  as  the  dawn,  and  He  shall 
come  unto  us  as  the  rain,  as  the  late  rain  watering  the  earth  (vi.  2,  3). 

And  that  this  state  is  compared  to  the  "  growth  of  the  field,"  is 
declared  by  Ezekiel,  when  speaking  of  the  Ancient  Church  : — 

I  have  caused  thee  to  multiply  as  the  growth  of  the  field,  and  thou  hast 
increased  and  hast  grown  up,  and  hast  come  to  excellent  ornaments 
(xvi.  7). 

And  it  is  also  compared  to 

A  shoot  of  the  Lord's  planting,  and  a  work  of  the  hands  of  Jehovah 
God  (Isa.  Ix.  21). 

94.  Verse  7.  And  Jehovah  God  formed  man,  dust  from  the 
ground,  and  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  (spiraculum) 
of  lives,  and  man  became  a  living  soul.     To  "  form  man,  dust 
from  the  ground,"  is  to  form  his  external  man,  which  before 
was  not  man  ;  for  it  is  said  (verse  5)  that  there  was  "  no  man  to 
till  the  ground."     To  "breathe  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of 
lives,"  is  to  give  him  the  life  of  faith  and  love ;  and  by  "  man 

VOL.  I.-4 


50  GENESIS  [N.  94 

became  a  living  soul,"  is  signified  that  his  external  man  also 
was  made  alive. 

95.  The  life  of  the  external  man  is  here  treated  of — the  life 
of  his  faith  or  imderstanding  in  the  two  former  verses,  and  the 
life  of  his  love  or  will  in  this  verse.     Hitherto  the  external  man 
has  been  unwilling  to  yield  to  and  serve  the  internal,  being 
engaged  in  a  continual  combat  with  him,  and  therefore  the  ex- 
ternal man  was  not  then  "  man."     Now,  however,  being  made 
celestial,  the  external  man  begins  to  obey  and  serve  the  inter- 
nal, and  it  also  becomes  "  man,"  being  so  rendered  by  the  life 
of  faith  and  the  life  of  love.     The  life  of  faith  prepares  him, 
but  it  is  the  life  of  love  which  causes  him  to  be  "  man." 

96.  As  to  ity  being  said  that  "Jehovah  God  breathed  into 
his  nostrils,"  the  case  is  this :  In  ancient  times,  and  in  the 
Word,  by  "nostrils"  was  understood  whatever  was  grateful  in 
consequence  of  its  odor,  which  signifies  perception.     On  this 
account  it  is  repeatedly  written  of  Jehovah,  that  He  "  smelled 
an  odor  of  rest"  from  the  burnt-offerings,  and  from  those  things 
which  represented  Him  and  His  kingdom ;  and  as  the  things 
relating  to  love  and  faith  are  most  grateful  to  Him,  it  is  said 
that  "  He  breathed  through  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  lives." 
Hence  the  anointed  of  Jehovah,  that  is,  of  the  Lord,  is  called 
the  "  breath  of  the  nostrils"  (Lam.  iv.  20).    And  the  Lord  Him- 
self signified  the  same  by  "  breathing  on  His  disciples,"  as 
written  in  John  : — 

He  breathed  on  them  and  said,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Spirit  (xx.  22). 

97.  The  reason  why  life  is  described  by  "  breathing"  and  by 
"  breath,"  is  also  that  the  men  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  per- 
ceived states  of  love  and  of  faith  by  states  of  respiration,  which 
were  successively  changed,  in  their  posterity.     Of  this  respira- 
tion nothing  can  as  yet  be  said,  because  at  this  day  such  things 
are  altogether  unknown.     The  most  ancient  people  were  well 
acquainted  with  it,  and  so  are  those  who  are  in  the  other  life, 
but  no  longer  any  one  on  this  earth,  and  this  was  the  reason 
why  they  likened  spirit  or  life  to  "  wind."    The  Lord  also  does 
this  when  speaking  of  the  regeneration  of  man,  in  John : — * 

*  In  the  original  languages,  "  wind,"  "  spirit,"  and  "  breath"  are  all  expressed 
by  the  same  word.     [REVISER.] 


N.  97]  CHAPTER   II.  VER.  7  51 

The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and  thou  hearest  the  voice  thereof, 
and  knowest  not  whence  it  cometh,  or  whither  it  goeth  ;  so  is  every  one 
that  is  born  of  the  spirit  (iii.  8). 

So  in  David  : — 

By  the  word  of  Jehovah  were  the  heavens  made,  and  all  the  army  of 
them  by  the  breath  of  His  mouth  (Ps.  xxxiii.  6). 

And  again : — 

Thou  gatherest  their  breath,  they  expire,  and  return  to  their  dust ; 
Thou  sendest  forth  Thy  spirit,  they  are  created,  and  Thou  renewest  the 
faces  of  the  ground  (Ps.  civ.  29,  30). 

That  the  "  breath  (spiraculmri)"  is  used  for  the  life  of  faith  and 
of  love,  appears  from  Job : — 

He  is  the  spirit  in  man,  and  the  breath  of  Shaddai  giveth  them  under- 
standing (xxxii.  8). 

Again  in  the  same  : — 

The  Spirit  of  God  hath  made  me,  and  the  breath  of  Shaddai  hath  given 
me  life  (xxxiii.  4). 

98.  Verse  8.  And  Jehovah  God  planted  a  garden  eastward 
(ab  oriente)  in  Eden,  and  there  He  put  the  man  whom  He  had 
formed.     By  a  "  garden"  is  signified  intelligence ;  by  "  Eden," 
love ;  by  the  "  east,"  the  Lord ;  consequently  by  the  "  garden 
of  Eden  eastward,"  is  signified  the  intelligence  of  the  celestial 
man,  which  flows  in  from  the  Lord  through  love. 

99.  Life,  or  the  order  of  life,  with  the  spiritual  man,  is  such 
that  although  the  Lord  flows  in,  through  faith,  into  the  things 
of  his  understanding,  reason,  and  memory  (in  ejus  intellectu- 
alia,  rationalia,  et  scientifica),  yet  as  his  external  man  fights 
against  his  internal  man,  it  appears  as  if  intelligence  did  not 
flow  in  from  the  Lord,  but  from  the  man  himself,  through  the 
things  of  memory  and  reason  (per  scientifica  et  rationalia).    But 
the  life,  or  order  of  life,  of  the  celestial  man,  is  such  that  the 
Lord  flows  in  through  love  and  the  faith  of  love  into  the  things 
of    his  understanding,  reason,  and  memory  (in  ejus  intellec- 
tualia,  rationalia)  et  scientifica),  and  as  there  is   no  combat 
between,  the  internal  and  the  external  man,  he  perceives  that 
this  is  really  so.     Thus  the  order  which  up  to  this  point  had 
been  inverted  with  the  spiritual  man,  is  now  described  as  re- 
stored with  the  celestial  man,  and  this  order,  or  man,  is  called 


52  GENESIS  [N.  99 

a  "  garden  in  Eden  in  the  east."  In  the  supreme  sense,  the 
"  garden  planted  by  Jehovah  God  in  Eden  in  the  east"  is  the 
Lord  Himself.  In  the  inmost  sense,  which  is  also  the  universal 
sense,  it  is  the  Lord's  kingdom,  and  the  heaven  in  which  man 
is  placed  when  he  has  become  celestial.  His  state  then  is  such 
that  he  is  with  the  angels  in  heaven,  and  is  as  it  were  one 
among  them ;  for  man  has  been  so  created  that  while  living  in 
this  world  he  may  at  the  same  time  be  in  heaven.  In  this  state 
all  his  thoughts  and  ideas  of  thoughts,  and  even  his  words  and 
actions,  are  open,  even  from  the  Lord,  and  contain  within  them 
what  is  celestial  and  spiritual ;  for  there  is  in  every  man  the 
life  of  the  Lord,  which  causes  him  to  have  perception. 

100.  That   a  "garden"  signifies  intelligence,  and  "Eden" 
love,  appears  also  from  Isaiah : — 

Jehovah  -will  comfort  Zion,  He  will  comfort  all  her  waste  places,  and 
He  will  make  her  wilderness  like  Eden,  and  her  desert  like  the  garden  of 
Jehovah  ;  joy  and  gladness  shall  be  found  therein,  confession  and  the 
voice  of  singing  (li.  3). 

In  this  passage,  "wilderness,"  "joy,"  and  "  confession,"  are 
terms  expressive  of  the  celestial  things  of  faith,  or  such  as 
relate  to  love ;  but  "  desert,"  "  gladness,"  and  "  the  voice  of 
singing,"  of  the  spiritual  things  of  faith,  or  such  as  belong  to 
the  understanding.  The  former  have  relation  to  "  Eden,"  the 
latter  to  "  garden  ;"  for  with  this  Prophet  two  expressions  con- 
stantly occur  concerning  the  same  thing,  one  of  which  signifies 
celestial,  and  the  other  spiritual  things.  What  is  further  sig- 
nified by  the  "  garden  in  Eden,"  may  be  seen  in  what  follows 
at  verse  10. 

101.  That  the  Lord  is  the  "east"  also  appears  from  the 
Word,  as  in  Ezekiel: — 

He  brought  me  to  the  gate,  even  the  gate  that  looketh  the  way  of  the 
east,  and  behold  the  glory  of  the  God  of  Israel  came  from  the  way  of  the 
east ;  and  His  voice  was  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  the  earth  shone 
with  His  glory  (xliii.  1,  2,  4). 

It  was  in  consequence  of  the  Lord's  being  the  "  east"  that  a 
holy  custom  prevailed  in  the  representative  Jewish  Church, 
before  the  building  of  the  temple,  of  turning  their  faces  toward 
the  east  when  they  prayed. 


N.  102]  CHAPTER   II.  VER.  9  53 

102.  Verse  9.  And  out  of  the  ground  made  Jehovah  God  to 
grow  every  tree  desirable  to  behold,  and  good  for  food  ;  the  tree 
of  lives  also,  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  and  the  tree  of  the 
knowledge  (scientiae)  of  good  and  evil.     A  "tree"  signifies  per- 
ception ;  a  "  tree  desirable  to  behold,"  the  perception  of  truth  •, 
a  "  tree  good  for  food,"  the  perception  of  good ;  the  "  tree  of 
lives,"  love  and  the  faith  thence  derived ;  the  "  tree  of  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil,"  faith  derived  from  what  is  sen- 
suous, that  is,  from  mere  memory -knowledge  (scientia). 

103.  The  reason  why  "trees"  here  signify  perceptions  is 
that  the  celestial  man  is  treated  of,  but  it  is  otherwise  when 
the  subject  is  the  spiritual  man,  for  on  the  nature  of  the  sub- 
ject depends  that  of  the  predicate. 

104.  At  this  day  it  is  unknown  what  Perception  is.     It  is  a 
certain  internal  sensation,  from  the  Lord  alone,  as  to  whether 
a  thing  is  true  and  good ;  and  it  was  very  well  known  to  the 
Most  Ancient  Church.     This  perception  is  so  perfect  with  the 
angels,  that  by  it  they  are  aware  and  have  knowledge  of  what 
is  true  and  good ;  of  what  is  from  the  Lord,  and  what  from 
themselves ;  and  also  of  the  quality  of  any  one  who  comes  to 
them,  merely  from  his  approach,  and  from  a  single  one  of  his 
ideas.    The  spiritual  man  has  no  perception,  but  has  conscience. 
A  dead  man  has  not  even  conscience ;  and  very  many  do  not 
know  what  conscience  is,  and  still  less  what  perception  is. 

105.  The  "  tree  of  lives"  is  love  and  the  faith  thence  de- 
rived ;  "  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,"  is  in  the  will  of  the  inter- 
nal man.     The  will,  which  in  the  Word  is  called  the  "  heart," 
is  the  primary  possession  of  the  Lord  with  man  and  angel. 
But  as  no  one  can  do  good  of  himself,  the  will  or  heart  is  not 
man's,  although  it  is  predicated  of  man ;  cupidity,  which  he 
calls  will,  is  man's.     Since  then  the  will  is  the  "  midst  of  the 
garden,"  where  the  tree  of  lives  is  placed,  and  man  has  no  will, 
but  mere  cupidity,  the  "  tree  of  lives"  is  the  mercy  of  the  Lord, 
from  whom  come  all  love  and  faith,  consequently  all  life. 

106.  But  the  nature  of  the  "tree  of  the  garden,"  or  percep- 
tion ;  of  the  "  tree  of  lives,"  or  love  and  the  faith  thence  de- 
rived ;  and  of  the  "  tree  of  knowledge,"  or  faith  originating  in 
what  is  sensuous  and  in  mere  memory -knowledge,  will  be  shown 
in  the  following  pages. 


54  GENESIS  [N.  107 

107.  Verse  10.  And  a  river  went  out  of  Eden,  to  water  the 
garden,  and  from  thence  it  was  parted,  and  was  into  four  heads. 
A  "  river  out  of  Eden,"  signifies  wisdom  from  love,  for  "  Eden" 
is  love ;  "  to  water  the  garden,"  is  to  bestow  intelligence ;  to  be 
"thence  parted  into  four  heads,"  is  a  description  of  intelli- 
gence by  means  of  the  four  rivers,  as  follows. 

108.  The  most  ancient  people,  when  comparing  man  to  a 
"  garden,"  also  compared  wisdom,  and  the  things  relating  to 
wisdom,  to  "  rivers ;"  nor  did  they  merely  compare  them,  but 
actually  so  called  them,  for  such  was  their  way  of  speaking. 
It  was  the  same  afterwards  in  the  Prophets,  who  sometimes 
compared  them,  and  sometimes  called  them  so.    As  in  Isaiah  : — 

Thy  light  shall  arise  in  darkness,  and  thy  thick  darkness  shall  be  as 
the  light  of  day  ;  and  thou  shalt  be  like  a  watered  garden,  and  like  an 
outlet  of  waters,  whose  waters  lie  not  (Iviii.  10, 11). 

Treating  of  those  who  receive  faith  and  love.  Again,  speaking 
of  the  regenerate : — 

As  the  valleys  are  they  planted,  as  gardens  by  the  river's  side  ;  as  lign- 
aloes*  which  Jehovah  hath  planted,  as  cedar-trees  beside  the  waters 
(Num.  xxiv.  6). 

In  Jeremiah : — 

Blessed  is  the  man  who  trusteth  in  Jehovah ;  he  shall  be  as  a  tree 
planted  by  the  waters,  and  that  sendeth  forth  her  roots  by  the  river  (xvii. 
7,8). 

In  Ezeldel  the  regenerate  are  not  compared  to  a  garden  and  a 
tree,  but  are  so  called  : — 

The  waters  made  her  to  grow,  the  deep  of  waters  uplifted  her,  the  river 
ran  round  about  her  plant,  and  sent  out  its  channels  to  all  the  trees  of  the 
field  ;  she  was  made  beautiful  in  her  greatness,  in  the  length  of  her 
branches,  for  her  root  was  by  many  waters.  The  cedars  in  the  garden  of 
God  did  not  hide  her ;  the  fir-trees  were  not  like  her  boughs,  and  the 
plane-trees  were  not  like  her  branches,  nor  was  any  tree  in  the  garden  of 
God  equal  to  her  in  her  beauty  ;  I  have  made  her  beautiful  by  the  mul- 
titude of  her  branches,  and  all  the  trees  of  Eden  that  were  in  the  garden 
of  God  envied  her  (xxxi.  4,  7-9). 

From  these  passages  it  is  evident  that  when  the  most  ancient 
people  compared  man,  or  the  things  in  man,  to  a  "  garden," 
they  added  the  "  waters"  and  "  rivers"  by  which  he  might  be 

*  The  Latin  is  tentoria,  "  tents,"  seemingly  a  misprint  for  santalos.     [REVISER.] 


N.  108]  CHAPTER   H.  VER.  10  55 

watered,  and  by  these  waters  and  rivers  meant  such  things  as 
would  cause  his  growth. 

109.  That  although  wisdom  and  intelligence  appear  in  man, 
they  are,  as  has  been  said,  of  the  Lord  alone,  is  plainly  de- 
clared in  Ezekiel  by  means  of  similar  representatives  : — 

Behold,  waters  issued  out  from  under  the  threshold  of  the  house  east- 
ward ;  for  the  face  of  the  house  is  the  east ;  and  he  said,  These  waters 
issue  out  to  the  border  toward  the  east,  and  go  down  into  the  plain, 
and  come  to  the  sea,  which  being  led  into  the  sea,  the  waters  shall  be 
healed ;  and  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  every  living  soul  which  creepeth, 
whithersoever  the  water  of  the  rivers  shall  come,  shall  live.  And  by  the 
river  upon  the  bank  thereof,  on  this  side  and  on  that  side,  there  come 
up  all  trees  for  food,  whose  leaf  shall  not  fade,  neither  shall  the  fruit 
thereof  be  consumed ;  it  is  born  again  in  its  months,  because  these  its 
waters  issue  out  of  the  sanctuary,  and  the  fruit  thereof  shall  be  for  food, 
and  the  leaf  thereof  for  medicine  (xlvii.  1,  8,  9,  12). 

Here  the  Lord  is  signified  by  the  "  east,"  and  by  the  "  sanctu- 
ary," whence  the  waters  and  rivers  issued.  In  like  manner  in 
John : — 

He  showed  me  a  pure  river  of  water  of  life,  bright  as  crystal,  going 
forth  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb.  In  the  midst  of  the 
street  thereof,  and  of  the  river  on  this  side  and  that,  was  the  tree  of  life, 
which  bare  twelve  [manner  of]  fruits,  and  yielded  her  fruit  every  month  ; 
and  the  leaf  of  the  tree  was  for  the  healing  of  the  nations  (Rev.  xxii.  1,  2). 

110.  Verses  11,  12.   The  name  of  the  first  is  Pishon  ;  that  is 
it  which  compasseth  the  whole  land  of  Havilah,  where  there  is 
gold  ;  and  the  gold  of  that  land  is  good  ;  there  is  bdellium,  and 
the  onyx  stone.     The  "  first"  river,  or  "  Pishon,"  signifies  the 
intelligence  of  the  faith  that  is  from  love  ;  "  the  land  of  Havi- 
lah"  signifies  the  mind ;  "  gold"  signifies  good ;  "  bdellium  and 
the  onyx  stone,"  truth.     "  Gold"  is  mentioned  twice  because  it 
signifies  the  good  of  love  and  the  good  of  faith  from  love ;  and 
"  bdellium  and  the  onyx  stone"  are  mentioned  because  the  one 
signifies  the  truth  of  love,  and  the  other  the  truth  of  faith  from 
love.     Such  is  the  celestial  man. 

111.  It  is  however  a  very  difficult  matter  to  describe  these 
things  as  they  are  in  the  internal  sense,  for  at  the  present  day 
no  one  knows  what  is  meant  by  faith  from  love,  and  what  by 
the  wisdom  and  intelligence  thence  derived.     For  external  men 
scarcely  know  of  anything  but  memory -knowledge  (scientia), 


56  GENESIS  [N.  Ill 

which  they  call  intelligence  and  wisdom,  and  faith.  They  do 
not  even  know  what  love  is,  and  many  do  not  know  what  the 
will  and  understanding  are,  and  that  they  constitute  one  mind. 
And  yet  each  of  these  things  is  distinct,  yea,  most  distinct,  and 
the  universal  heaven  is  ordinated  by  the  Lord  in  the  most  dis- 
tinct manner  according  to  the  differences  of  love  and  faith, 
which  are  innumerable. 

112.  Be  it  known  moreover  that  there  is  no  wisdom  which 
is  not  from  love,  thus  from  the  Lord ;  nor  any  intelligence  ex- 
cept from  faith,  thus  also  from  the  Lord ;  and  that  there  is  no 
good  except   from   love,  thus  from  the  Lord ;    and  no  truth 
except  from  faith,  thus  from  the  Lord.    What  are  not  from  love 
and  faith,  and  thus  from  the  Lord,  are  indeed  called  by  these 
names,  but  they  are  spurious. 

113.  Nothing  is  more  common  in  the  Word  than  for  the 
good  of  wisdom  or  of  love  to  be  signified  and  represented  by 
"  gold."     All  the  gold  in  the  ark,  in  the  temple,  in  the  golden 
table,  in  the  candlestick,  in  the  vessels,  and  upon  the  garments 
of  Aaron,  signified  and  represented  the  good  of  wisdom  or  of 
love.     So  also  in  the  Prophets,  as  in  Ezekiel : — 

In  thy  wisdom  and  in  thine  intelligence  thou  hast  gotten  thee  riches, 
and  hast  gotten  gold  and  silver  in  thy  treasures  (xxviii.  4), 

where  it  is  plainly  said  that  from  wisdom  and  intelligence  are 
"  gold  and  silver,"  or  the  good  and  the  true,  for  "  silver"  here 
signifies  truth,  as  it  does  also  in  the  ark  and  in  the  temple.  In 
Isaiah : — 

The  multitude  of  camels  shall  cover  thee,  the  dromedaries  of  Midian 
and  Ephah ;  all  they  from  Sheba  shall  come,  they  shall  bring  gold  and 
incense,  and  they  shall  show  forth  the  praises  of  Jehovah  (Ix.  6). 

Thus  also : — 

The  wise  men  from  the  east,  who  came  to  Jesus  when  He  was  born, 
fell  down  and  worshiped  Him  ;  and  when  they  had  opened  their  treas- 
ures, they  presented  unto  Him  gifts  ;  gold,  and  frankincense,  and  myrrh 
(Matt.  ii.  1,  11). 

Here  also  "  gold"  signifies  good ;  "  frankincense  and  myrrh," 
things  that  are  grateful  because  from  love  and  faith,  and  which 
are  therefore  called  "the  praises  of  Jehovah."  Wherefore  it 
is  said  in  David : — • 


N.  113]  CHAPTER   II.  VERS.  11,  12  57 

He  shall  live,  and  to  him  shall  be  given  of  the  gold  of  Sheba  ;  prayer 
also  shall  be  made  for  him  continually,  and  every  day  shall  He  bless  him 
(Ps.  Ixxii.  15). 

114.  The  truth  of  faith  is  signified  and  represented  in  the 
Word  by  precious  "  stones,"  as  by  those  in  the  breast-plate  of 
judgment,  and  on  the  shoulders  of   Aaron's  ephod.     In  the 
breast-plate,  "gold,  blue,  bright  crimson,  scarlet  double-dyed, 
and  fine-twined  linen,"  represented  such  things  as  are  of  love, 
and  the  precious  "  stones"  such  as  are  of  faith  from  love ;  as 
did  likewise  the  two  "  stones  of  memorial"  on  the  shoulders  of 
the   ephod,  which  were  onyx   stones,  set   in  ouches  of   gold 
(Exod.  xxviii.  9-22).     This  signification  of  precious  stones  is 
also  plain  from  Ezekiel,  where,  speaking  of  a  man  possessed  of 
heavenly  riches,  which  are  wisdom  and  intelligence,  it  is  said : — • 

Full  of  wisdom,  and  perfect  in  beauty,  thou  hast  been  in  Eden  the 
garden  of  God ;  every  precious  stone  was  thy  covering,  the  ruby,  the 
topaz,  the  diamond,  the  beryl,  the  onyx,  and  the  jasper ;  the  sapphire, 
the  chrysoprase,  the  emerald,  and  gold  ;  the  workmanship  of  thy  tabrets 
and  of  thy  pipes  was  in  thee  ;  in  the  day  that  thou  wast  created  they 
were  prepared  ;  thou  wast  perfect  in  thy  ways  from  the  day  that  thou 
wast  created  (xxviii.  12,  13,  15), 

which  words  it  must  be  evident  to  every  one  do  not  signify 
stones,  but  the  celestial  and  spiritual  things  of  faith ;  yea,  each 
stone  represented  some  essential  of  faith. 

115.  When  the  most  ancient  people  spoke  of  "  lands,"  they 
understood  what  was  signified  by  them,  just  as  those  at  the 
present  day  who  have  an  idea  that  the  land  of  Canaan  and 
Mount  Zion  signify  heaven,  do  not  so  much  as  think  of  any 
land  or  mountain  when  these  places  are  mentioned,  but  only  of 
the  things  which  they  signify.     It  is  so  here  with  the  "  land  of 
Havilah,"  which  is  mentioned  again  in  Genesis  xxv.  18,  where  it 
is  said  of  the  sons  of  Ishmael,  that  they  "  dwelt  from  Havilah 
even  unto  Shur,  which  is  before  Egypt,  as  thou  goest  toward 
Assyria."     Those  who  are  in  a  heavenly  idea  perceive  from 
these  words  nothing  but  intelligence,  and  what  flows  from  in- 
telligence.    So  by  to  "  compass" — as  where  it  is  said  that  the 
river  Pishon  "  compasseth  the  whole  land  of  Havilah" — they 
perceive  a  flowing  in-,  as  also  in  the  onyx  stones  on  the  shoul- 
ders of  Aaron's  ephod  being  encompassed  with  ouches  of  gold 


58  GENESIS  [N.  115 

(TSxod.  xxviii.  11),  they  perceive  that  the  good  of  love  should 
inflow  into  the  truth  of  faith.  And  so  in  many  other  instances. 

116.  Verse  13.  And  the  name  of  the  second  river  is  Gihon  ; 
the  same  is  it  that  compasseth  the  whole  land  of  Gush.     The 
"  second  river,"  which  is  called  "  Gihon,"  signifies  the  knowl- 
edge (cognitio)  of  all  things  that  belong  to  the  good  and  the  true, 
or  to  love  and  faith,  and  the  "  land  of  Gush"  signifies  the  mind 
or  faculty.     The  mind  is  constituted  of  the  will  and  the  under- 
standing ;  and  what  is  said  of  the  first  river  has  reference  to 
the  will,  and  what  of  this  one  to  the  understanding  to  which 
belong  the  knowledges  (cognitiones)  of  good  and  of  truth. 

117.  The  "land  of  Gush,"  or  Ethiopia,  moreover,  abounded 
in  gold,  precious  stones,  and  spices,  which,  as  before  said,  sig- 
nify good,  truth,  and  the  things  thence  derived  which  are  grate- 
ful, such  as  are  those  of  the  knowledges  of  love  and  faith. 
This  is  evident  from  the  passages  above  cited  (n.  113)  from 
Isa.  Ix.  6 ;  Matt.  ii.  1,  11 ;  David,  Ps.  Ixxii.  15.     That  similar 
things  are  meant  in  the  Word  by  "  Gush"  or  "  Ethiopia,"  and 
also  by  "  Sheba,"  is  evident  from  the  Prophets,  as  in  Zepha- 
niah,  where  also  the  "  rivers  of  Gush"  are  mentioned : — 

In  the  morning  He  will  give  His  judgment  for  light ;  for  then  will  I 
turn  to  the  people  with  a  clear  language,  that  they  may  all  call  upon  the 
name  of  Jehovah,  to  serve  Him  with  one  shoulder ;  from  the  passage  of 
the  rivers  of  Gush  My  suppliants  shall  bring  Mine  offering  (iii.  5,  9,  10). 

And  in  Daniel,  speaking  of  the  king  of  the  north  and  of  the 
south : — 

He  shall  have  power  over  the  treasures  of  gold  and  of  silver,  and  over 
all  the  desirable  things  of  Egypt ;  and  the  Lybians  and  the  Ethiopians 
shall  be  under  his  steps  (xi.  43), 

where  "  Egypt"  denotes  memory -knowledges  (scientifica),  and 
the  "Ethiopians"  knowledges  (cognitiones).  [2]  So  in  Eze- 
kiel : — 

The  merchants  of  Sheba  and  Raamah,  these  were  thy  merchants,  in 
the  chief  of  all  spices,  and  in  every  precious  stone,  and  in  gold  (xxvii.  22), 

by  whom  in  like  manner  are  signified  knowledges  (cognitiones) 
of  faith.  So  in  David,  speaking  of  the  Lord,  consequently  of 
the  celestial  man : — 


N.  117]  CHAPTEE   H.  VER.  13  59 

In  his  days  shall  the  righteous  flourish,  and  abundance  of  peace  until 
there  shall  be  no  moon  ;  the  kings  of  Tarshish  and  of  the  isles  shall  bring 
presents  ;  the  kings  of  Sheba  and  Seba  shall  offer  a  gift  (Ps.  Ixxii.  7,  10). 

These  words,  as  is  plain  from  their  connection  with  the  pre- 
ceding and  subsequent  verses,  signify  celestial  things  of  faith. 
Similar  things  were  signified  by  the  queen  of  Sheba,  who  came 
to  Solomon,  and  proposed  hard  questions,  and  brought  him 
spices,  gold,  and  precious  stones  (1  Kings  x.  1,  2).  For  all 
things  contained  in  the  historical  parts  of  the  Word,  as  well  as 
in  the  Prophets,  signify,  represent,  and  involve  arcana. 

118.  Verse  14.  And  the  name  of  the  third  river  is  Hiddekel ; 
that  is  it  which  goeth  eastward  toward  Asshur  ;  and  the  fourth 
river  it  is  Phrath.     The  "  river  Hiddekel"  is  reason,  or  the 
clearsightedness  of  reason.     "  Asshur"  is  the  rational  mind ; 
the  "  river  which  goeth  eastward  toward  Asshur,"  signifies  that 
the  clearsightedness  of  reason  comes  from  the  Lord  through 
the  internal  man  into  the  rational  mind,  which  is  of  the  exter- 
nal man  ;  "  Phrath,"  or  Euphrates,  is  memory -knowledge  (sci- 
entia),  which  is  the  ultimate  or  boundary. 

119.  That  "Asshur"  signifies  the  rational  mind,  or  the  ra- 
tional of  man,  is  very  evident  in  the  Prophets,  as  in  Ezekiel : — 

Behold,  Asshur  was  a  cedar  in  Lebanon,  with  fair  branches  and  a 
shady  grove,  and  lofty  in  height ;  and  her  offshoot  was  among  the  thick 
boughs.  The  waters  made  her  grow,  the  deep  of  waters  uplifted  her,  the 
river  ran  round  about  her  plant  (xxxi.  3,  4). 

The  rational  is  called  a  "  cedar  in  Lebanon ;"  the  "  offshoot 
among  the  thick  boughs,"  signifies  the  knowledges  of  the  mem- 
ory, which  are  in  this  very  plight.  This  is  still  clearer  in 
Isaiah : — 

In  that  day  shall  there  be  a  path  from  Egypt  to  Asshur,  and  Asshur 
shall  come  into  Egypt,  and  Egypt  into  Asshur,  and  the  Egyptians  shall 
serve  Asshur.  In  that  day  shall  Israel  be  the  third  with  Egypt  and  with 
Asshur,  a  blessing  in  the  midst  of  the  land,  that  Jehovah  Zebaoth  shall 
bless,  saying,  Blessed  be  Egypt  My  people,  and  Asshur  the  work  of  My 
hands,  and  Israel  Mine  inheritance  (xix.  23-25). 

By  "  Egypt"  in  this  and  various  other  passages  is  signified 
memory -knowledges,  by  "  Asshur"  reason,  and  by  "  Israel"  in- 
telligence. 


60  GENESIS  [N.  120 

120.  As  by  "  Egypt,"  so  also  by  "  Euphrates,"  are  signified 
memory -knowledges  (scientiae  sen  scientifica),  and  also  the  sen- 
suous things  from  which  these  knowledges  come.     This  is  evi- 
dent from  the  Word  in  the  Prophets,  as  in  Micah : — 

My  she-enemy  hath  said,  Where  is  Jehovah  thy  God  ?  The  day  in 
which  He  shall  build  thy  walls  (macerias),  that  day  shall  the  decree  be 
far  removed  ;  that  day  also  He  shall  come  even  to  thee  from  Asshur,  and 
to  the  cities  of  Egypt,  and  to  the  river  (Euphrates)  (vii.  10-12). 

So  did  the  prophets  speak  concerning  the  coming  of  the  Lord 
who  should  regenerate  man  so  that  he  might  become  like  the 
celestial  man.  In  Jeremiah  : — 

What  hast  thou  to  do  in  the  way  of  Egypt,  to  drink  the  waters  of 
Sihor  ?  or  what  hast  thou  to  do  in  the  way  of  Asshur,  to  drink  the  waters 
of  the  river  (Euphrates)  ?  (ii.  18), 

where  "Egypt"  and  "Euphrates"  likewise  signify  memory- 
knowledges,  and  "Asshur"  reasonings  thence  derived.  In 
David : — 

Thou  hast  made  a  vine  to  go  forth  out  of  Egypt ;  Thou  hast  cast  out 
the  nations  ;  Thou  hast  planted  her ;  Thou  hast  sent  out  her  shoots  even 
to  the  sea,  and  her  twigs  to  the  river  (Euphrates)  (Ps.  Ixxx.  8,  11), 

where  also  the  "  river  Euphrates"  signifies  what  is  sensuous 
and  of  the  memory  (sensuali  et  scientiftco).  For  the  Euphrates 
was  the  boundary  of  the  dominions  of  Israel  toward  Assyria,  as 
the  knowledge  of  the  memory  is  the  boundary  of  the  intelli- 
gence and  wisdom  of  the  spiritual  and  celestial  man.  The 
same  is  signified  by  what  was  said  to  Abraham : — 

Unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  this  land,  from  the  river  of  Egypt  unto  the 
great  river,  the  river  Euphrates  (Gen.  xv.  18). 

These  two  boundaries  have  a  like  signification. 

121.  The  nature  of  celestial  order,  or  how  the  things  of  life 
proceed,  is  evident  from  these  rivers,  namely,  from  the  Lord, 
who  is  the  "East,"   and  that  from    Him    proceeds  wisdom, 
through  wisdom  intelligence,  through  intelligence  reason,  and 
so  by  means  of  reason  the  knowledges  of  the  memory  are  viv- 
ified.    This  is  the  order  of  life,  and  such  are  celestial  men ; 
and  therefore,  since  the  elders  of  Israel  represented  celestial 
men,  they  were  called  "  wise,  intelligent,  and  knowing"  (Deut. 


N.  121]  CHAPTER   II.  VER.  14  61 

i.  13,  15).     Hence  it  is  said  of  Bezaleel,  who  constructed  the 
ark,  that  he  was 

Filled  with  the  spirit  of  God,  in  wisdom,  in  understanding,  and  in 
knowledge  (scientia),  and  in  all  work  (Exod.  xxxi.  3  ;  xxxv.  31 ;  xxxvi. 

1,2). 

122.  Verse  15.  And  Jehovah  God  took  the  man,  and  put  him 
in  the  garden  of  Eden,  to  till  it  and  take  care  of  it.     By  the 
"  garden  of  Eden"  are  signified  all  things  of  the  celestial  man, 
as  described ;  by  to  "  till  it  and  take  care  of  it,"  is  signified 
that  it  is  permitted  him  to  enjoy  all  these  things,  but  not  to 
possess  them  as  his  own,  because  they  are  the  Lord's. 

123.  The  celestial  man  acknowledges,  because  he  perceives, 
that  all  things  both  in  general  and  in  particular  are  the  Lord's. 
The  spiritual  man  does  indeed  acknowledge  the  same,  but  with 
the  mouth,  because  he  has  learned  it  from  the  Word.     The 
worldly  and  corporeal  man  neither  acknowledges  nor  admits  it ; 
but  whatever  he  has  he  calls  his  own,  and  imagines  that  were 
he  to  lose  it,  he  would  altogether  perish. 

124.  That    wisdom,    intelligence,   reason,   and    knowledge 
(scientia),  are  not  of  man,  but  of  the  Lord,  is  very  evident  from 
all  that  the  Lord  taught ;  as  in  Matthew,  where  the  Lord  com- 
pares Himself  to  a  householder,  who  planted  a  vineyard,  and 
hedged  it  round,  and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen  (xxi.  33) ;  and 
in  John : — 

The  Spirit  of  truth  shall  guide  you  into  all  truth  ;  for  He  shall  not 
speaktof  Himself,  but  what  things  soever  He  shall  hear,  He  shall  speak  ; 
He  shall  glorify  Me,  for  He  shall  receive  of  Mine,  and  shall  declare  it 
unto  you  (xvi.  13,  14). 

And  in  another  place : — 

A  man  can  receive  nothing  except  it  be  given  him  from  heaven  (iii.  27). 

That  this  is  really  so  is  known  to  every  one  who  is  acquainted 
with  even  a  few  of  the  arcana  of  heaven. 

125.  Verse  16.  And  Jehovah  God  commanded  the  man,  say* 
ing,  Of  every  tree  of  the  garden,  eating  thou  mayest  eat.    To  "eat 
of  every  tree,"  is  to  know  from  perception  what  is  good  and 
true;  for,  as  before  observed,  a  "tree"  signifies  perception.    The 
men  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  had  the  knowledges  of  true 
faith  by  means  of  revelations,  for  they  conversed  with  the  Lord 


62  GENESIS  [N.  125 

and  with  angels,  and  were  also  instructed  by  visions  and 
dreams,  which  were  most  delightful  and  paradisal  to  them. 
They  had  from  the  Lord  continual  perception,  so  that  when 
they  reflected  on  what  was  treasured  up  in  the  memory  they 
instantly  perceived  whether  it  was  true  and  good,  insomuch 
that  when  anything  false  presented  itself,  they  not  only 
avoided  it  but  even  regarded  it  with  horror :  such  also  is  the 
state  of  the  angels.  In  place  of  this  perception  of  the  Most 
Ancient  Church,  however,  there  afterwards  succeeded  the 
knowledge  (cognitio)  of  what  is  true  and  good  from  what  had 
been  previously  revealed,  and  afterwards  from  what  was 
revealed  in  the  Word. 

126.  Verse  17.  But  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  (scientia) 
of  good  and  evil,  thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it;  for  in  the  day  that 
*hou  eatest  thereof,  dying  thou  shalt  die.     These  words,  taken 
together  with  those  just  explained,  signify  that  it  is  allow- 
able  to  become   acquainted  with  what  is  true  and  good  by 
means  of  every  perception  derived  from  the  Lord,  but  not  from 
self  and  the  world ;  that  is,  we  are  not  to  inquire  into  the 
mysteries  of  faith  by  means  of  the  things  of  sense  and  of  the 
memory  (persensualia  et  scientifica),  for  in  this  case  the  celes- 
tial of  faith  is  destroyed. 

127.  A  desire  to  investigate  the  mysteries  of  faith  by  means 
of  the  things  of  sense  and  of  the  memory,  was  not  only  the 
cause  of  the  fall  of  the  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church, 
as  treated  of  in  the  following  chapter,  but  it  is  also  the  cause 
of  the  fall  of  every  church ;  for  hence  come  not  only  falsities, 
but  also  evils  of  life. 

128.  The  worldly  and  corporeal  man  says  in  his  heart,  If 
I  am  not  instructed  concerning  the  faith,  and  everything  re- 
lating to  it,  by  means  of  the  things  of  sense,  so  that  I  may  see, 
or  by  means  of  those  of  the  memory  (scientifica),  so  that  I  may 
understand,  I  will  not  believe  ;  and  he  confirms  himself  in  this 
by  the  consideration  that  natural  things  cannot  be  contrary  to 
spiritual.     Thus  he  is  desirous  of  being  instructed  from  things 
of  sense  in  what  is  celestial  and  Divine,  which  is  as  impossible 
as  it  is  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle ;  for  the 
more  he  desires  to  grow  wise  by  such  means,  the  more  he  blinds 
himself,  till  at  length  he  believes  nothing,  not  even  that  there 


N.  128]  CHAPTER   II.  VER.   17  63 

is  anything  spiritual,  or  that  there  is  eternal  life.  This  comes 
from  the  principle  which  he  assumes.  And  this  is  to  "  eat  of 
the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,"  of  which  the  more 
any  one  eats,  the  more  dead  he  becomes.  But  he  who  would  be 
wise  from  the  Lord,  and  not  from  the  world,  says  in  his  heart 
that  the  Lord  must  be  believed,  that  is,  the  things  which  the 
Lord  has  spoken  in  the  Word,  because  they  are  truths ;  and 
according  to  this  principle  he  regulates  his  thoughts.  He  con- 
firms himself  by  things  of  reason,  of  knowledge,  of  the  senses, 
and  of  nature  (per  rationalia,  scientifica,  sensualia  et  natu- 
ralia'),  and  those  which  are  not  confirmatory  he  casts  aside. 

129.  Every  one  may  know  that  man  is  governed  by  the  prin- 
ciples he  assumes,  be  they  ever  so  false,  and  that  all  his  knowl- 
edge  and  reasoning   favor   his  principles ;    for  innumerable 
considerations  tending  to  support  them  present  themselves  to 
his  mind,  and  thus  he  is  confirmed  in  what  is  false.     He  there- 
fore who  assumes  as  a  principle  that  nothing  is  to  be  believed 
until  it  is  seen  and  understood,  can  never  believe,  because  spir- 
itual and  celestial  things  cannot  be  seen  with  the  eyes,  or  con- 
ceived by  the  imagination.     But  the  true  order  is  for  man  to 
be  wise  from  the  Lord,  that  is,  from  His  Word,  and  then  all 
things  follow,  and  he  is  enlightened  even  in  matters  of  reason 
and  of  memory -knowledge  (in  rationalibus  et  scientificis).     For 
it  is  by  no  means  forbidden  to  learn  the  sciences,  since  they 
are  useful  to  his  life  and  delightful ;  nor  is  he  who  is  in  faith 
prohibited  from  thinking  and  speaking  as  do  the  learned  of 
the  world ;  but  it  must  be  from  this  principle — to  believe  the 
Word  of  the  Lord,  and,  so  far  as  possible,  confirm  spiritual  and 
celestial  truths  by  natural  truths,  in  terms   familiar  to  the 
learned  world.     Thus  his  starting-point  must  be  the  Lord,  and 
not  himself ;  for  the  former  is  life,  but  the  latter  is  death . 

130.  He  who  desires  to  be  wise  from  the  world,  has  for  his 
"  garden"  the  things  of  sense  and  of  memory -knowledge  (sen- 
sualia et  scientifica) ;  the  love  of  self  and  the  love  of  the  world 
are  his  "  Eden  ;"  his  "  east"  is  the  west,  or  himself ;  his  "  river 
Euphrates"  is  all  his  memory -knowledge  (scientificum),  which 
is  condemned ;  his  "  second  river,"  where  is  "  Assyria,"  is  in- 
fatuated reasoning  productive  of  falsities ;  his  "  third  river," 
where  is  "  Ethiopia,"  is  the  principles  of  evil  and  falsity  thence 


64  GENESIS  [N.  130 

derived,  which  are  the  knowledges  of  his  faith;  his  "fourth 
river"  is  the  wisdom  thence  derived,  which  in  the  Word  is 
called  "magic."  And  therefore  "Egypt" — which  signifies 
memory -knowledge  (sciential) — after  the  knowledge  became 
magical,  signifies  such  a  man,  because,  as  may  be  seen  from  the 
Word,  he  desires  to  be  wise  from  self.  Of  such  it  is  written  in 
Ezekiel : — 

Thus  hath  said  the  Lord  Jehovih,  Behold,  I  am  against  thee,  Pharaoh 
king  of  Egypt,  the  great  whale  that  lieth  in  the  midst  of  his  rivers,  who 
hath  said,  My  river  is  mine  own,  and  I  have  made  myself.  And  the  land 
of  Egypt  shall  be  for  a  solitude,  and  a  waste,  and  they  shall  know  that  I 
am  Jehovah,  because  he  hath  said,  The  river  is  mine,  and  I  have  made 
(xxix.  3,  9). 

Such  men  are  also  called  "  trees  of  Eden  in  hell,"  in  the  same 
Prophet,  where  also  Pharaoh,  or  the  Egyptian,  is  treated  of  in 
these  words : — 

When  I  shall  have  made  him  descend  into  hell  with  them  that  descend 
into  the  pit ;  to  whom  art  thou  thus  made  like  in  glory  and  in  greatness 
among  the  trees  of  Eden  ?  yet  shalt  thou  be  made  to  descend  with  the 
trees  of  Eden  into  the  lower  earth,  in  the  midst  of  the  uncircumcised, 
with  them  that  be  slain  by  the  sword.  This  is  Pharaoh  and  all  his  crew 
(xxxi.  18,  18), 

where  the  "trees  of  Eden"  denote  knowledges  (scientifica  et 
cognitiones)  from  the  Word,  which  they  thus  profane  by  rea- 
sonings. 


18.  And  Jehovah  God  said,  It  is  not  good  that  the  man 
should  be  alone,  I  will  make  him  a  help  as  with  him. 

19.  And  Jehovah  God  formed  out  of  the  ground  every  beast 
of  the  field,  and  every  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  brought  it  to 
the  man  to  see  what  he  would  call  it ;  and  whatsoever  the  man 
called  every  living  soul,  that  was  the  name  thereof. 

20.  And  the  man  gave  names  to  every  beast,  and  to  the  fowl 
of  the  heavens,  and  to  every  wild  animal  of  the  field ;  but  for 
the  man  there  was  not  found  a  help  as  with  him. 

21.  And  Jehovah  God  caused  a  deep  sleep  to  fall  upon  the 
man,  and  he  slept ;  and  He  took  one  of  his  ribs,  and  closed  up 
the  flesh  in  the  place  thereof. 


N.  131]  CHAPTER   II.  65 

22.  And  the  rib  which  Jehovah  God  had  taken  from  the 
man,  He  built  into  a  woman,  and  brought  her  to  the  man. 

23.  And  the  man  said,  This  now  is  bone  of  my  bones,  and 
flesh  of  my  flesh ;  therefore  she  shall  be  called  wife,  because 
she  was  taken  out  of  man  (?nV). 

24.  Therefore  shall  a  man  (vir)  leave  his  father  and  his 
mother,  and  shall  cleave  unto  his  wife,  and  they  shall  be  one 
flesh. 

25.  And  they  were  both  naked,  the  man  and  his  wife,  and 
were  not  ashamed. 


THE    CONTENTS. 

131.  The   posterity  of   the  Most  Ancient  Church,  which 
inclined  to  their  Own,*  is  here  treated  of. 

132.  Since  man  is  such  as  not  to  be  content  to  be  led  by  the 
Lord,  but  desires  to  be  led  also  by  himself  and  the  world,  or  by 
his  Own,  therefore  the  Own  which  was  granted  him  is  here 
treated  of  (verse  18). 

133.  And  first  it  is  given  him  to  know  the  affections  of 
good  and  the  knowledges  of  truth  with  which  he  is  endowed 
by  the  Lord ;  but  still  he  inclines  to  his  Own  (verses  19,  20). 

134.  Wherefore  he  is  let  into  a  state  of  his  Own,  and  an 
Own  is  given  him,  which  is  described  by  the  rib  built  into  a 
woman  (verses  21  to  23). 

135.  Celestial  and  spiritual  life  are  adjoined  to  the  man's 
Own,  so  that  they  appear  as  a  one  (verse  24). 

136.  And  innocence  from  the  Lord  is  insinuated  into  this 
Own,  so  that  it  still  might  not  be  unacceptable  (verse  25). 

*  The  Latin  word  proprium  is  the  term  used  in  the  original  text  that  in  this  and 
other  places  has  been  rendered  by  the  expression  "  Own."  The  dictionary  meaning 
of  proprius,  as  an  adjective,  is  "  one's  own,"  "  proper,"  "  belonging  to  one's  self 
alone,"  "  special,"  "  particular,"  "  peculiar."  The  neuter  of  this  which  is  the  word 
proprium,  when  used  as  a  noun  means  "possession,"  "property;"  also  "a  peculi- 
arity," "characteristic  mark,"  "distinguishing  sign,"  "characteristic."  The  Eng- 
lish adjective  "  own"  is  denned  by  Webster  to  mean  "  belonging  to,"  "  belonging 
exclusively  or  especially  to,"  "peculiar  ;"  so  that  our  word  "own"  is  a  very  exact 
equivalent  of  proprius,  and  if  we  make  it  a  noun  by  writing  it  "  Own,"  in  order  tc 
answer  to  the  Latin  proprium,  we  effect  a  very  close  translation.  [REVISER.] 
VOL.  I.— 5 


66  GENESIS  [N.  137 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

137.  The  first  three  chapters  of  Genesis  treat  in  general  of 
the  Most  Ancient  Church  which  is  called  "  Man"  (homo),  from 
its  first  period  to  its  last,  when  it  perished :  the  preceding  part 
of  this  chapter  treats  of  its  most  flourishing  state,  when  it  was 
a  celestial  man ;  here  it  now  treats  of  those  who  inclined  to 
their  Own,  and  of  their  posterity. 

138.  Verse  18.  And  Jehovah  God  said,  It  is  not  good  that 
the  man  should  be  alone  ;  I  will  make  him  a  help  as  with  him. 
By  "alone"  is  signified  that  he  was  not  content  to  be  led  by 
the  Lord,  but  desired  to  be  led  by  self  and  the  world;  by  a 
"  help  as  with  him,"  is  signified  man's  Own,  which  is  subse- 
quently called  a  "  rib  built  into  a  woman." 

139.  In  ancient  times  those  were  said  to  "  dwell  alone"  who 
were  under  the  Lord's  guidance  as  celestial  men,  because  such 
were  no  longer  infested  by  evils,  or  evil  spirits.     This  was  rep- 
resented in  the  Jewish  Church  also  by  their  dwelling  alone 
when  they  had  driven  out  the  nations.     On  this  account  it  is 
sometimes  said  of  the  Lord's  church,  in  the  Word,  that  she  is 
"  alone,"  as  in  Jeremiah  : — 

Arise,  get  you  up  to  a  quiet  nation  that  dwelleth  confidently,  saith  the 
Lord,  which  hath  neither  gates  nor  bar  ;  they  dwell  alone  (xlix.  31). 

In  the  prophecy  of  Moses  : — 

Israel  hath  dwelt  confidently  alone  (Deut.  xxxiii.  28). 

And  still  more  clearly  in  the  prophecy  of  Balaam : — 

Lo,  the  people  dwelleth  alone,  and  shall  not  be  reckoned  among  the 
nations  (Num.  xxiii.  9), 

where  "  nations"  signify  evils.  This  posterity  of  the  Most 
Ancient  Church  was  not  disposed  to  dwell  alone,  that  is,  to  be 
a  celestial  man,  or  to  be  led  by  the  Lord  as  a  celestial  man, 
but,  like  the  Jewish  Church,  desired  to  be  among  the  nations. 
And  because  they  desired  this,  it  is  said,  "  it  is  not  good  that 
the  man  should  be  alone,"  for  he  who  desires  is  already  in  evil, 
and  it  is  granted  him. 

140.  That  by  "a  help  as  with  him"  is  signified  man's  Own, 
is  evident  both  from  the  nature  of  this  Own,  and  from  what  f ol- 


N.  140]  CHAPTER   II.  VER.  18  67 

lows.  As  however  the  man  of  the  church  who  is  here  treated 
of  was  well  disposed,  an  Own  was  granted  him,  but  of  such 
a  kind  that  it  appeared  as  it  were  his  own,  and  therefore  it  is 
said  "  a  help  as  with  him." 

141 .  Innumerable  things  might  be  said  about  man's  Own  in 
describing  its  nature  with  the  corporeal  and  worldly  man,  with 
the  spiritual  man,  and  with  the  celestial  man.    With  the  corpo- 
real and  worldly  man,  his  Own  is  his  all,  he  knows  of  nothing 
else  than  his  Own,  and  imagines,  as  before  said,  that  if  he  were 
to  lose  this  Own  he  would  perish.    With  the  spiritual  man  also 
his  Own  has  a  similar  appearance,  for  although  he  knows  that 
the  Lord  is  the  life  of  all,  and  gives  wisdom  and  understanding, 
and  consequently  the  power  to  think  and  to  act,  yet  this  knowl- 
edge is  rather  the  profession  of  his  lips  than  the  belief  of  his 
heart.     But  the  celestial  man  discerns  that  the  Lord  is  the  life 
of  all  and  gives  the  power  to  think  and  to  act,  for  he  perceives 
that  it  is  really  so.     He  never  desires  his  Own,  nevertheless 
an  Own  is  given  him  by  the  Lord,  which  is  conjoined  with  all 
perception  of  what  is  good  and  true,  and  with  all  happiness. 
The  angels  are  in  such  an  Own,  and  are  at  the  same  time  in 
the  highest  peace  and  tranquillity,  for  in  their  Own  are  those 
things  which  are  the  Lord's,  who  governs  their  Own,  or  them 
by  means  of  their  Own.     This  Own  is  the  veriest  celestial  it- 
self, whereas  that  of  the  corporeal  man  is  infernal.     But  con- 
cerning this  Own  more  hereafter. 

142.  Verses  19,  20.  And  Jehovah   God  formed  out  of  the 
ground  every  beast  of  the  field,  and  every  fowl  of  the  heavens, 
and  brought  it  to  the  man  to  see  what  he  would  call  it ;  and  what- 
soever the  man  called  every  living  soul,  that  was  the  name  thereof. 
And  the  man  gave  names  to  every  beast,  and  to  the  fowl  of  the 
heavens,  and  to  every  wild  animal  of  the  field  ;  but  for  the  man 
there  was  not  found  a  help  as  with  him.     By  "  beasts"  are  sig- 
nified celestial  affections,  and  by  "  fowls  of  the  heavens,"  spirit- 
ual affections  ;  that  is  to  say,  by  "  beasts"  are  signified  things 
of  the  will,  and  by  "  fowls"  things  of  the  understanding.     To 
"  bring  them  to  the  man  to  see  what  he  would  call  them,"  is  to 
enable  him  to  know  their  quality,  and  his  "  giving  them  names," 
signifies  that  he  knew  it.     But  notwithstanding  that  he  knew 
the  quality  of  the  affections  of  good  and  of  the  knowledges  of 


68  GENESIS  [N.  142 

truth  that  were  given  him  by  the  Lord,  still  he  inclined  to  his 
Own,  which  is  expressed  in  the  same  terms  as  before — that 
"  there  was  not  found  a  help  as  with  him." 

143.  That  by  "  beasts"  and  "  animals"  were  anciently  signi- 
fied affections  and  like  things  in  man,  may  appear  strange  at 
the  present  day ;  but  as  the  men  of  those  times  were  in  a  ce- 
lestial idea,  and  as  such  things  are  represented  in  the  world  of 
spirits  by  animals,  and  in  fact  by  such  animals  as  they  are  like, 
therefore  when  they  spoke  in  that  way  they  meant  nothing  else. 
Xor  is  anything  else  meant  in  the  Word  in  those  places  where 
beasts  are  mentioned  either  generally  or  specifically.    The  whole 
prophetic  Word  is  full  of  such  things,  and  therefore  one  who 
does  not  know  what  each  beast  specifically  signifies,  cannot  pos- 
sibly understand  what  the  Word  contains  in  the  internal  sense. 
Exit,  as  before  observed,  beasts  are  of  two  kinds — evil  or  nox- 
ious beasts,  and  good  or  harmless  ones — and  by  the  good  beasts 
are  signified  good  affections,  as  for  instance  by  sheep,  lambs, 
and  doves ;  and  as  it  is  the  celestial,  or  the  celestial  spiritual 
man,  who  is  treated  of,  such  are  here  meant.     That  "  beasts" 
in  general  signify  affections,  may  be  seen  above,  confirmed  by 
some  passages  in  the  Word  (n.  45,  46),  so  that  there  is  no  need 
of  further  confirmation. 

144.  That  to  "call  by  name"  signifies  to  know  the  quality, 
is  because  the  ancients,  by  the  "  name,"  understood  the  essence 
of  a  thing,  and  by  "  seeing  and  calling  by  name,"  they  under- 
stood to  know  the  quality.     The  reason  was  that  they  gave 
names  to  their  sons  and  daughters  according  to  the  things  which 
were  signified,  for  every  name  had  something  peculiar  in  it, 
from  which,  and  by  which,  they  might  know  the  origin  and  the 
nature  of  their  children,  as  will  be  seen  in  a  future,  part  of  this 
work,  when,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy,  we  come  to  treat  of 
the  twelve  sons  of  Jacob.    As  therefore  the  names  implied  the 
source  and  quality  of  the  things  named,  nothing  else  was  un- 
derstood by  "  calling  by  name."     This  was  the  customary  mode 
of  speaking  among  them,  but  one  who  does  not  understand  this 
may  wonder  that  such  things  should  be  signified. 

145.  In  the  Word  also  by  "  name"  is  signified  the  essence  of 
a  thing,  and  by  "  seeing  and  calling  by  name"  is  signified  to 
know  the  quality.     As  in  Isaiah : — 


N.  145]  CHAPTER   II.   VERS.   19,  20  69 

I  will  give  thee  the  treasures  of  darkness,  and  hidden  riches  of  secret 
places,  that  thou  mayest  know  that  I,  Jehovah,  who  call  thee  by  thy  name, 
am  the  God  of  Israel.  For  Jacob  My  servant's  sake,  and  Israel  My  chosen, 
I  have  even  called  thee  by  thy  name,  I  have  surnamed  thee,  and  thou  hast 
not  known  Me  (xlv.  3,  4). 

In  this  passage,  to  "  call  by  name,"  and  to  "  surname"  signifies 
to  foreknow  the  quality.  Again  : — 

Thou  shalt  be  called  by  a  new  name,  which  the  mouth  of  Jehovah 
shall  declare  (Ixii.  2), 

signifying  to  become  of  another  character,  as  appears  from  the 
preceding  and  subsequent  verses.  Again  :— 

Fear  not,  O  Israel,  for  I  have  redeemed  thee,  I  have  called  thee  by  thy 
name  ;  thou  art  Mine  (xliii.  1), 

denoting  that  He  knew  their  quality.  Again  in  the  same 
Prophet : — 

Lift  up  your  eyes  on  high,  and  behold  who  hath  created  these  things, 
that  bringeth  out  their  army  by  number.  He  will  call  them  all  by  name 
(xl.  26), 

meaning  that  He  knew  them  all.     In  the  Revelation : — 

Thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sardis  who  have  not  denied  their  gar- 
ments :  he  that  overcometh,  the  same  shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment, 
and  I  will  not  blot  out  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  but  I  will  con- 
fess his  name  before  My  Father,  and  before  His  angels  (iii.  4,  5). 

And  in  another  place  : — 

Whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life  (xiii.  8). 

By  "  names"  in  these  passages  are  by  no  means  meant  names, 
but  qualities  ;  nor  is  the  name  of  any  one  ever  known  in  heaven, 
but  his  quality. 

146.  From  what  has  been  stated,  the  connection  of  what  is 
signified  may  be  seen.  In  verse  18  it  is  said,  "  It  is  not  good 
that  the  man  should  be  alone,  I  will  make  him  a  help  as  with 
him,"  and  presently  "  beasts"  and  "  birds"  are  spoken  of,  which 
nevertheless  had  been  treated  of  before,  and  immediately  it  is 
repeated  that  "  for  the  man  there  was  not  found  a  help  as  with 
him,"  which  denotes  that  although  he  was  permitted  to  know  his 
quality  as  to  the  affections  of  good,  and  knoAvledges  of  truth, 
still  he  inclined  to  his  Own ;  for  those  who  are  such  as  to 
'desire  what  is  their  own,  begin  to  despise  the  things  of  the 


70  GENESIS  [N.  146 

Lord,  however  plainly  they  may  be  represented  and  shown  to 
them. 

147.  Verse  21.  And  Jehovah  God  caused  a  deep  sleep  to  fall 
upon  the  man,  and  he  slept ;  and  He  took  one  of  his  ribs,  and 
closed  up  the  flesh  in  the  place  thereof.     By  a  "  rib,"  which  is 
a  bone  of  the  chest,  is  meant  man's  Own,  in  which  there  is  but 
little  vitality,  and  indeed  an  Own  which  is  dear  to  him ;  by 
"  flesh  in  the  place  of  the  rib,"  is  meant  an  Own  in  which  there 
is  vitality  ;  by  a  "  deep  sleep"  is  meant  the  state  into  which  he 
was  let  so  that  he  might  seem  to  himself  to  have  what  is  his 
own,  which  state  resembles  sleep,  because  while  in  it  he  knows 
not  but  that  he  lives,  thinks,  speaks,  and  acts,  from  himself. 
But  when  he  begins  to  know  that  this  is  false,  he  is  then  roused 
as  it  were  out  of  sleep,  and  becomes  awake. 

148.  The  reason  why  what  is  man's  own  (and  indeed  an  Own 
which  is  dear  to  him)  is  called  a  "  rib,"  which  is  a  bone  of  the 
chest,  is  that  among  the  most  ancient  people  the  chest  signified 
charity,  because  it  contains  both  the  heart  and  the  lungs ;  and 
bones  signified  the  viler  things,  because  they  possess  a  mini- 
mum of  vitality  ;  while  flesh  denoted  such  as  had  vitality.     The 
ground  of  these  significations  is  one  of  the  deepest  arcana  known 
to  the  men  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  concerning  which  of 
the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 

149.  In  the  Word  also,  man's  Own  is  signified  by  "  bones," 
and  indeed  an  Own  vivified  by  the  Lord,  as  in  Isaiah : — 

Jehovah  shall  satisfy  thy  soul  in  droughts,  and  make  thy  bones  alert, 
and  thou  shall  be  like  a  watered  garden  (Iviii.  11). 

Again  : — 

Then  shall  ye  see,  and  your  heart  shall  rejoice,  and  your  bones  shall 
sprout  as  the  blade  (Ixvi.  14). 

In  David : — 

All  my  bones  shall  say,  Jehovah,  who  is  like  unto  Thee  ?  (Ps.  xxxv. 
10). 

This  is  still  more  evident  from  Ezekiel,  where  he  speaks  of 
bones  receiving  flesh,  and  having  spirit  put  into  them : — 

The  hand  of  Jehovah  set  me  in  the  midst  of  the  valley,  and  it  was  full 
of  bones ;  and  He  said  to  me,  Prophesy  upon  these  bones,  and  say  unto 
them,  O  ye  dry  bones,  hear  the  word  of  Jehovah  ;  thus  saith  the  Lord 


N.  149]  CHAPTER   II.  VER.  21  71 

Jehovih  to  these  bones ;  behold,  I  bring  breath  (spiritus)  into  you,  and 
ye  shall  live,  and  I  will  lay  sinews  upon  you,  and  will  make  flesh  come 
upon  you,  and  cover  you  with  skin,  and  I  will  put  breath  (spiritus) 
in  you,  and  ye  shall  live,  and  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  Jehovah  (xxxvii. 
1,4-6). 

[2]  The  Own  of  man,  when  viewed  from  heaven,  appears  like  a 
something  that  is  wholly  bony,  inanimate,  and  very  ugly,  con- 
sequently as  being  in  itself  dead,  but  when  vivified  by  the 
Lord  it  looks  like  flesh.  For  man's  Own  is  a  mere  dead  thing, 
although  to  him  it  appears  as  something,  indeed  as  everything. 
Whatever  lives  in  him  is  from  the  Lord's  life,  and  if  this  were 
withdrawn  he  would  fall  down  as  dead  as  a  stone ;  for  man  is 
only  an  organ  of  life,  and  such  as  is  the  organ,  such  is  the 
life's  affection.  The  Lord  alone  has  what  is  His  Own;  by 
this  Own  He  redeemed  man,  and  by  this  Own  He  saves  him. 
The  Lord's  Own  is  Life,  and  from  His  Own,  man's  Own,  which 
in  itself  is  dead,  is  made  alive.  The  Lord's  Own  is  also  sig- 
nified by  the  Lord's  words  in  Luke : — 

A  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and  bones  as  ye  see  Me  have  (xxiv.  39). 

It  was  also  meant  by  not  a  bone  of  the  paschal  lamb  being 
broken  (Exod.  xii.  46). 

150.  The  state  of  man  when  in  his  Own,  or  when  he  sup- 
poses that  he  lives  from  himself,  is  compared  to  "  deep  sleep," 
and  indeed  by  the  ancients  was  called  deep  sleep ;  and  in  the 
Word  it  is  said  of  such  that  they  have  "  poured  out  upon  them 
the  spirit  of  deep  sleep"  (Isa.  xxix.  10),  and  that  they  sleep  a 
sleep  (Jer.  li.  57).  That  man's  Own  is  in  itself  dead,  and  that 
no  one  has  any  life  from  himself,  has  been  shown  so  clearly 
in  the  world  of  spirits,  that  evil  spirits  who  love  nothing  but 
their  Own,  and  obstinately  insist  that  they  live  from  them- 
selves, were  convinced  by  sensible  experience,  and  were  forced 
to  confess  that  they  do  not  live  from  themselves.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  I  have  been  permitted  in  an  especial  manner  to 
know  how  the  case  is  with  what  is  man's  own,  and  it  has  been 
granted  to  me  to  perceive  clearly  that  I  could  think  nothing 
from  myself,  but  that  every  idea  of  thought  flows  in,  and  some- 
times I  could  perceive  how  and  whence  it  flowed  in.  The  man 
who  supposes  that  he  lives  from  himself  is  therefore  in  what 


72  GENESIS  [N.  150 

is  false,  and  by  believing  that  he  lives  from  himself  appro- 
priates to  himself  everything  evil  and  false,  which  he  would 
never  do  if  his  belief  were  in  accordance  with  the  real  truth 
of  the  case. 

151.  Verse  22.  And  the  rib  which  Jehovah  God  had  taken 
from  the  man  He  built  into  a  woman,  and  brought  her  to  the 
man.     By  to  "  build"  is  signified  to  raise  up  what  has  fallen ; 
by  the  "  rib,"  man's  Own  not  vivified ;  by  a  "  woman,"  man's 
Own  vivified  by  the  Lord ;  by  "  He  brought  her  to  the  man," 
that  what  is  his  own  was  granted  him.     The  posterity  of  this 
church  did  not  wish,  like  their  parents,  to  be  a  celestial  man, 
but  to  be  under  their  own  self-guidance  ;  and,  thus  inclining  to 
their  Own,  it  was  granted  to  them,  but  still  an  Own  vivified  by 
the  Lord,  and  therefore  called  a  "  woman,"  and  afterwards  a 
"  wife." 

152.  It  requires  but  little  attention  in  any  one  to  discern 
that  woman  was  not  formed  out  of  the  rib  of  a  man,  and  that 
deeper  arcana  are  here  implied  than  any  person  has  heretofore 
been  aware  of.     And  that  by  the  "  woman"  is  signified  man's 
Own,  may  be  known  from  the  fact  that  it  was  the  woman  who 
was  deceived ;  for  nothing  ever  deceives  man  but  his  Own,  or 
what  is  the  same,  the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world. 

153.  The  rib  is  said  to  be  "  built  into  a  woman,"  but  it  is  not 
said  that  the  woman  was  "  created,"  or  "  formed,"  or  "  made," 
as  before  when  treating  of  regeneration.     The  reason  of  this  is 
that  to  "  build"  is  to  raise  up  that  which  has  fallen ;  and  in 
this  sense  it  is  used  in  the  Word,  where  to  "  build"  is  predi- 
cated of  evils ;  to  "  raise  up,"  of  falsities  ;  and  to  "  renew,"  of 
both  ;  as  in  Isaiah  : — 

They  shall  build  the  wastes  of  eternity,  they  shall  set  up  again  the 
ancient  desolations,  and  they  shall  renew  the  cities  of  the  waste,  the 
desolations  of  generation  and  generation  (Ixi.  4). 

"  Wastes"  in  this  and  other  passages  signify  evils ;  "  desola- 
tions," falsities ;  to  "  build"  is  applied  to  the  former,  to  "  set 
up  again"  to  the  latter,  and  this  distinction  is  carefully  ob- 
served in  other  places  by  the  prophets,  as  where  it  is  said  in 
Jeremiah : — 

Yet  still  will  I  build  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  built,  O  virgin  of  Israel 
^xxxi.  4). 


N.  154]  CHAPTER   II.  VER.  22  73 

154.  Nothing  evil  and  false  is  ever  possible  which  is  not 
man's  Own,  and  from  man's  Own,  for  the  Own  of  man  is  evil 
itself,  and  consequently  man  is  nothing  but  evil  and  falsity. 
This  has  been  evident  to  me  from  the  fact  that  when  the 
things  of  man's  Own  are  presented  to  view  in  the  world  of 
spirits,  they  appear  so  deformed  that  it  is  impossible  to  de- 
pict anything  more  ugly,  yet  with  a  difference  according  to 
the  nature  of  the  Own,  so  that  he  to  whom  the  things  of  the 
Own  are  visibly  exhibited  is  struck  with  horror,  and  desires 
to  flee  from  himself  as  from  a  devil.     But  truly  the  things 
of  man's  Own  that  have  been  vivified  by  the  Lord  appear 
beautiful  and  lovely,  with  variety  according  to  the  life  to  which 
the  celestial  of  the  Lord  can  be  applied ;  and  indeed  those  who 
have  been  endowed  with  charity,  or  vivified  by  it,  appear  like 
boys  and  girls  with  most  beautiful  countenances ;  and  those 
who  are  in  innocence,  like  naked  infants,  variously  adorned 
with  garlands  of  flowers  encircling  their  bosoms,  and  diadems 
upon  their  heads,  living  and  sporting  in  a  diamond-like  aura, 
and  having  a  perception  of  happiness  from  the  very  inmost. 

155.  The  words  "  a  rib  was  built  into  a  woman,"  have  more 
things  inmostly  concealed  in  them  than  it  is  possible  for  any 
one  ever  to  discover  from  the  letter ;  for  the  Word  of  the  Lord 
is  such  that  its  inmost  contents  regard  the  Lord  Himself  and 
His  kingdom,  and  from  this  comes  all  the  life  of  the  Word. 
And  so  in  the  passage  before  us,  it  is  the  heavenly  marriage 
that  is  regarded  in  its  inmost  contents.     The  heavenly  mar- 
riage is  of  such  a  nature  that  it  exists  in  the  Own,  which, 
when  vivified  by  the  Lord,  is  called  the  "  bride  and  wife"  of 
the  Lord.     Man's  Own  thus  vivified  has  a  perception  of  all 
the  good  of  love  and  truth  of  faith,  and  consequently  possesses 
all  wisdom  and  intelligence  conjoined  with  inexpressible  hap- 
piness.    But  the  nature  of  this  vivified  Own,  which  is  called 
the  "bride  and  wife"  of  the  Lord,  cannot  be  concisely  ex- 
plained.    Suffice  it  therefore  to  observe  that  the  angels  per- 
ceive that  they  live  from  the  Lord,  although  when  not  reflect- 
mg  on  the  subject  they  know  no  other  than  that  they  live 
from  themselves ;  but  there  is  a  general  affection  of  such  a 
nature  that  at  the  least  departure  from  the  good  of  love  and 
truth  of  faith  they  perceive  a  change,  and  consequently  they 


74  GENESIS  [N.  155 

are  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  peace  and  happiness,  which  is 
inexpressible,  while  they  are  in  their  general  perception  that 
they  live  from  the  Lord.  It  is  this  Own  also  that  is  meant  in 
Jeremiah,  where  it  is  said  : — 

Jehovah  hath  created  a  new  thing  in  the  earth,  a  woman  shall  com- 
pass a  man  (xxxi.  22). 

It  is  the  heavenly  marriage  that  is  signified  in  this  passage 
also,  where  by  a  "  woman"  is  meant  the  Own  vivified  by  the 
Lord,  of  which  woman  the  expression  "to  compass"  is  predi- 
cated, because  this  Own  is  such  that  it  encompasses,  as  a  rib 
made  flesh  encompasses  the  heart. 

156.  Verse  23.  And  the  man  said,  This  now  is  bone  of  my 
bones  and  flesh  of  my  flesh  ;  therefore  she  shall  be  called  wife, 
because  she  was  taken  out  of  man  (vir).     "  Bone  of  bones  and 
flesh  of  flesh,"  signify  the  Own  of  the  external  man ;  "  bone," 
this  Own  not  so  much  vivified,  and  "  flesh,"  the  Own  that  is 
vivified.     Man  (vir),  moreover,  signifies  the  internal  man,  and 
from  his  being  so  coupled  with  the  external  man  as  is  stated 
in  the  subsequent  verse,  the   Own  which  was  before  called 
"  woman,"  is  here  denominated  "  wife."     "  Now,"  signifies  that 
it  was  thus  effected  at  this  time  because  the  state  was  changed. 

157.  Inasmuch  as  "bone  of  bones  and  flesh  of  flesh"  signi- 
fied the  Own  of  the  external  man  in  which  was  the  internal, 
therefore  in  ancient  times  all  those  were  called  "  bone  of  bones 
and  flesh  of  flesh"  who  could  be  called  their  own  (proprii),  and 
were  of  one  house,  or  of  one  family,  or  in  any  degree  of  rela- 
tionship.    Thus  Laban  said  of  Jacob, 

Surely  thou  art  my  bone  and  my  flesh  (Gen.  xxix.  14). 

And  Abimelech  said  of  his  mother's  brethren,  and  of  the 
family  of  the  house  of  his  mother's  father, 

Remember  that  I  am  your  bone  and  your  flesh  (Judges  ix.  2). 
The  tribes  of  Israel  also  said  of  themselves  to  David, 
Behold,  we  are  thy  bone  and  thy  flesh  (2  Sam.  v.  1). 

158.  That  man  (vir)  signifies  the  internal  man,  or   what 
is  the  same,  one  who  is  intelligent  and  wise,  is  plain  from 
Isaiah : — 


N.  158]  CHAPTER  H.  VER.  23  75 

I  behold,  and  there  is  no  man  (vir),  even  among  them,  and  there  is  no 
counselor  (xli.  28), 

meaning  none  wise  and  intelligent.     Also  in  Jeremiah : — 

Run  ye  to  and  fro  through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  and  see  if  ye  can 
find  a  man,  if  there  be  any  executing  judgment,  seeking  the  truth  (v.  1). 

"  One  who  executes  judgment"  means  a  wise  person ;  and  "  one 
who  seeks  the  truth,"  an  intelligent  one. 

159.  But  it  is  not  easy  to  perceive  how  the  case  is  with 
these  things  unless  the  state  of  the  celestial  man  is  under- 
stood.    In  the  celestial  man  the  internal  man  is  distinct  from 
the  external,  indeed  so  distinct  that  the  celestial  man  perceives 
what  belongs  to  the  internal  man,  and  what  to  the  external, 
and  how  the  external  man  is  governed  through  the  internal 
by  the  Lord.     But  the  state  of  the  posterity  of  this  celestial 
man,  in  consequence  of  desiring  their  Own,  which  belongs  to 
the  external  man,  was  so  changed  that  they  no  longer  per- 
ceived the  internal  man  to  be  distinct  from  the  external,  but 
imagined  the  internal  to  be  one  with  the  external,  for  such  a 
perception  takes  place  when  man  inclines  to  his  Own. 

160.  Verse  24.   Therefore  shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and 
his  mother,  and  shall  cleave  unto  his  wife,  and  they  shall  be  one 
flesh.     To  "leave  father  and  mother,"  is  to  recede  from  the 
internal  man,  for  it  is  the  internal  which  conceives  and  brings 
forth  the  external;   to  "cleave  unto  his  wife,"  is  that  the 
internal  may  be  in  the  external ;  to  "  be  one  flesh,"  that  they 
are  there  together ;  and  because  before,  the  internal  man,  and 
the  external  from  the  internal,  was  spirit,  but  now  they  have 
become  flesh.     Thus  was  celestial  and  spiritual  life  adjoined 
to  the  Own,  that  they  might  be  as  one. 

161.  This  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  was  not 
evil,  but  was  still  good;  and  because  they  desired  to  live  in 
the  external  man,  or  in  their  Own,  this  was  permitted  them  by 
the  Lord,  what  is  spiritual  celestial  however  being  mercifully 
insinuated  therein.     How  the  internal  and  external  act  as  a 
one,  or  how  they  appear  as  a  one,  cannot  be  known  unless  the 
influx  of  the  one  into  the  other  is  known.     In  order  to  con- 
ceive some  idea  of  it,  take  for  example  an  action.     Unless  in 
an  action  there  is  charity,  that  is,  love  and  faith,  and  in  these 


76  GENESIS  [N.  161 

the  Lord,  that  action  cannot  be  called  a  work  of  charity,  or 
the  fruit  of  faith. 

162.  All  the  laws  of  truth  and  right  flow  from  celestial  be- 
ginnings, or  from  the  order  of  life  of  the  celestial  man.     For 
the  whole  heaven  is  a  celestial  man  because  the  Lord  alone  is 
a  celestial  man,  and  as  He  is  the  all  in  all  of  heaven  and  the 
celestial  man,  they  are  thence  called  celestial.     As  every  law  of 
truth  and  right  descends  from  celestial  beginnings,  or  from  the 
order  of  life  of  the  celestial  man,  so  in  an  especial  manner  does 
the  law  of  marriages.    It  is  the  celestial  (or  heavenly)  marriage 
from  and  according  to  which  all  marriages  on  earth  must  be 
derived ;  and  this  marriage  is  such  that  there  is  one  Lord  and 
one  heaven,  or  one  church  whose  head  is  the  Lord.     The  law  of 
marriages  thence  derived  is  that  there  shall  be  one  husband 
and  one  wife,  and  when  this  is  the  case  they  represent  the 
celestial  marriage,  and  are  an  exemplar  of  the  celestial  man. 
This  law  was  not  only  revealed  to  the  men  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church,  but  was  also  inscribed  on  their  internal  man,  where- 
fore at  that  time  a  man  had  but  one  wife,  and  they  constituted 
one  house.    But  when  their  posterity  ceased  to  be  internal  men, 
and  became  external,  they  married  a  plurality  of  wives.     Be- 
cause the  men  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  in  their  marriages 
represented  the  celestial  marriage,  conjugial  love  was  to  them 
a  kind  of  heaven  and  heavenly  happiness,  but  when  the  Church 
declined  they  had  no  longer  any  perception  of  happiness  in 
conjugial  love,  but  in  pleasure  from  a  number,  which  is  a  de- 
light of  the  external  man.     This  is  called  by  the  Lord  "  hard- 
ness of  heart,"  on  account  of  which  they  were  permitted  by 
Moses  to  marry  a  plurality  of  wives,  as  the  Lord  Himself 
teaches : — 

For  the  hardness  of  your  heart  Moses  wrote  you  this  precept,  but  from 
the  beginning  of  the  creation  God  made  them  male  and  female.  For 
this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and  mother,  and  shall  cleave  unto 
his  wife,  and  they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh  ;  wherefore  they  are  no  more 
twain  but  one  flesh  ;  what  therefore  God  hath  joined  together  let  not  man 
put  asunder  (Mark  x.  5-9). 

163.  Verse  25.  And  they  were  both  naked,  the  man  and  his 
wife,  and  were  not  ashamed.     Their  being  "  naked,  and  not 
ashamed,"  signifies  that  they  were  innocent,  for  the  Lord  had 


N.  163]  CHAPTER   II.  VER.  25  77 

insinuated  innocence  into  their  Own,  to  prevent  its  being  un- 
acceptable. 

164.  The  Own  of  man,  as  before  stated,  is  mere  evil,  and 
when  exhibited  to  view  is  most  deformed,  but  when  charity 
and  innocence  from  the  Lord  are  insinuated  into  the  Own,  it 
then  appears  good  and  beautiful  (as  before  observed,  n.  154). 
Charity  and  innocence  not  only  excuse  the  Own  (that  is,  what 
is  evil  and  false  in  man),  but  as  it  were  abolish  it,  as  may  be 
observed  in  little  children,  in  whom  what  is  evil  and  false  is 
not  merely  concealed,  but  is  even  pleasing,  so  long  as  they  love 
their  parents  and  one  another,  and  their  infantile  innocence 
shows   itself.     Hence  it  may  be  known  why  no  one  can  be 
admitted  into  heaven  unless  he  possesses  some  degree  of  inno- 
cence ;  as  the  Lord  has  said : — 

Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  Me,  and  forbid  them  not,  for 
of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  whosoever  shall 
not  receive  the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  not  enter  therein. 
And  He  took  them  up  in  His  arms,  put  His  hands  upon  them,  and  blessed 
them  (Mark  x.  14-16). 

165.  That  the  "  nakedness  of  which  they  were  not  ashamed" 
signifies  innocence,  is  proved  by  what  follows,  for  when  integ- 
rity and  innocence  departed  they  were  ashamed  of  their  naked- 
ness, and  it  appeared  to  them  disgraceful,  and  they  therefore 
hid  themselves.     The  same  is  evident  also  from  the  represen- 
tations in  the  world  of  spirits,  for  when  spirits  wish  to  excul- 
pate themselves  and  prove  their  guiltlessness,  they  present 
themselves  naked  in  order  to  testify  their  innocence.     Espe- 
cially is  it  evident  from  the  innocent  in  heaven,  who  appear  as 
naked  infants  decorated  with  garlands  according  to  the  nature 
of  their  innocence ;  while  those  who  have  not  so  much  inno- 
cence are  clad  in  becoming  and  shining  garments  (of  diamond 
silk  as  you  might  say),  as  the  angels  were  occasionally  seen  by 
the  prophets. 


166.  Such  are  some  of  the  things  contained  in  this  chapter 
of  the  Word,  but  those  here  set  forth  are  but  few.  And  as  the 
celestial  man  is  treated  of,  who  at  the  present  day  is  known  to 


78  GENESIS  [N.  166 

scarcely  any  one,  even  these  few  things  cannot  but  appear  ob- 
scure to  some. 

167.  If  any  one  could  know  how  many  arcana  each  particular 
verse  contains,  he  would  be  amazed,  for  the  number  of  arcana 
contained  is  past  telling,  and  this  is  very  little  shown  in  the 
letter.  To  state  the  matter  shortly  :  the  words  of  the  letter, 
exactly  as  they  are,  are  vividly  represented  in  the  world  of 
spirits,  in  a  beautiful  order.  For  the  world  of  spirits  is  a  world 
of  representatives,  and  whatever  is  vividly  represented  there 
is  perceived,  in  respect  to  the  minute  things  contained  in  the 
representatives,  by  the  angelic  spirits  who  are  in  the  second 
heaven ;  and  the  things  thus  perceived  by  the  angelic  spirits 
are  perceived  abundantly  and  fully  in  inexpressible  angelic 
ideas  by  the  angels  who  are  in  the  third  heaven,  and  this  in 
boundless  variety  in  accordance  with  the  Lord's  good  pleasure. 
Such  is  the  Word  of  the  Lord. 


CONCERNING    THE    RESUSCITATION    OF    MAN     FROM    THE    DEAD, 
AND    HIS    ENTRANCE    INTO    ETERNAL    LIFE. 

168.  Being  permitted  to  describe  in  connected  order  how 
man  passes  from  the  life  of  the  body  into  the  life  of  eternity, 
in  order  that  the  way  in  which  he  is  resuscitated  might  be 
known,  this  has  been  shown  me,  not  by  hearing,  but  by  actual 
experience. 

169.  I  was  reduced  into  a  state  of  insensibility  as  to  the  bod- 
ily senses,  thus  almost  into  the  state  of  dying  persons,  retaining 
however  my  interior  life  unimpaired,  attended  with  the  power 
of  thinking,  and  with  sufficient  breathing  for  life,  and  finally 
with  a  tacit  breathing,  that  I  might  perceive  and  remember  what 
happens  to  those  who  have  died  and  are  being  resuscitated. 

170.  Celestial  angels  were  present  who  occupied  the  region 
of  the  heart,  so  that  as  to  the  heart  I  seemed  united  with  them, 
and  so  that  at  length  scarcely  anything  was  left  to  me  except 
thought,  and  the  consequent  perception,  and  this  for  some  hours, 


N.  171]  RESUSCITATION  FROM  THE  DEAD  79 

171.  I  was  thus  removed  from  communication  with  spirits 
in  the  world  of  spirits,  who  supposed  that  I  had  departed  from 
the  life  of  the  body. 

172.  Besides  the  celestial  angels,  who  occupied  the  region  of 
the  heart,  there  were  also  two  angels  sitting  at  my  head,  and  it 
was  given  me  to  perceive  that  it  is  so  with  every  one. 

173.  The  angels  who  sat  at  my  head  were  perfectly  silent, 
merely  communicating  their  thoughts  by  the  face,  so  that  I 
could  perceive  that  another  face  was  as  it  were  induced  upon 
me ;  indeed  two,  because  there  were  two  angels.     When  the 
angels  perceive  that  their  faces  are  received,  they  know  that 
the  man  is  dead. 

174.  After  recognizing  their  faces,  they  induced   certain 
changes  about  the  region  of  the  mouth,  and  thus  communicated 
their  thoughts,  for  it  is  customary  with  the  celestial  angels  to 
speak  by  the  province  of  the  mouth,  and  it  was  permitted  me 
to  perceive  their  cogitative  speech. 

175.  An  aromatic  odor  was  perceived,  like  that  of  an  em- 
balmed corpse,  for  when  the  celestial  angels  are  present,  the 
cadaverous  odor  is  perceived  as  if  it  were  aromatic,  which  when 
perceived  by  evil  spirits  prevents  their  approach. 

176.  Meanwhile  I  perceived  that  the  region  of  the  heart  was 
kept  very  closely  united  with  the  celestial  angels,  as  was  also 
evident  from  the  pulsation. 

177.  It  was  insinuated  to  me  that  man  is  kept  engaged  by 
the  angels  in  the  pious  and  holy  thoughts  which  he  entertained 
at  the  point  of  death ;  and  it  was  also  insinuated  that  those  who 
are  dying  usually  think  about  eternal  life,  and  seldom  of  sal- 
vation and  happiness,  and  therefore  the  angels  keep  them  in 
the  thought  of  eternal  life. 

178.  In  this  thought  they  are  kept  for  a  considerable  time 
by  the  celestial  angels  before  these  angels  depart,  and  those 
who  are  being  resuscitated  are  then  left  to  the  spiritual  angels, 
with  whom  they  are  next  associated.     Meanwhile  they  have  a 
dim  idea  that  they  are  living  in  the  body. 

179.  As  soon  as  the  internal  parts  of  the  body  grow  cold, 
the  vital  substances  are  separated  from  the  man,  wherever  they 
may  be,  even  if  inclosed  in  a  thousand  labyrinthine  inter- 
lacings,  for  such  is  the  efficacy  of  the  Lord's  mercy  (which  I 


80  GENESIS  [N.  179 

had  previously  perceived  as  a  living  and  mighty  attraction), 
that  nothing  vital  can  remain  behind. 

180.  The  celestial  angels  who  sat  at  the  head  remained  with 
me  for  some  time  after  I  was  as  it  were  resuscitated,  but  they 
conversed  only  tacitly.     It  was  perceived  from  their  cogita- 
tive speech  that  they  made  light  of  all  fallacies  and  falsities, 
smiling  at  them  not  indeed  as  matters  for  derision,  but  as  if 
they  cared  nothing  about  them.     Their  speech  is  cogitative,  de- 
void of    sound,  and  in  this  kind  of  language  they  begin  to 
speak  with  the  souls  with  whom  they  are  at  first  present. 

181.  As  yet  the  man,  thus  resuscitated  by  the  celestial  an- 
gels, possesses  only  an  obscure  life ;  but  when  the  time  comes 
for  him  to  be  delivered  to  the  spiritual  angels,  then  after  a 
little  delay,  when  the  spiritual  angels  have  approached,  the 
celestial  depart ;  and  it  has  been  shown  me  how  the  spiritual 
angels  operate  in  order  that  the  man  may  receive  the  benefit 
of  light,  as  described  in  the  continuation  of  this  subject  pre- 
fixed to  the  following  chapter. 


CHAPTER  THE  THIRD. 

CONTINUATION    CONCERNING    THE    ENTRANCE    INTO    ETERNAL 
LIFE    OF    THOSE    WHO    ARE    RAISED    FROM    THE    DEAD. 

182.  When  the  celestial  angels  are  with  a  resuscitated  per- 
son, they  do  not  leave  him,  for  they  love  every  one ;  but  when 
the  soul  is  of  such  a  character  that  he  can  no  longer  be  in  the 
company  of  the  celestial  angels,  he  is  eager  to  depart  from 
them ;  and  when  this  takes  place  the  spiritual  angels  arrive, 
and  give  him  the  use  of  light,  for  previously  he  had  seen 
nothing,  but  had  only  thought. 

183.  I  was  shown  how  these  angels  work.     They  seemed  to 
as  it  were  roll  off  the  coat  of  the  left  eye  toward  the  septum  of 
the  nose,  in  order  that  the  eye  might  be  opened  and  the  use  of 
light  be  granted.     To  the  man  it  appears  as  if  this  were  really 
done,  but  it  is  only  an  appearance. 


N.  184]     ,          RESUSCITATION  FROM  THE   DEAD  81 

184.  After  this  little  membrane  has  been  thus  in  appear- 
ance rolled  off,  some  light  is  visible,  but  dim,  such  as  a  man 
sees  through  his  eyelids  when  he  first  awakes  out  of  sleep ;  and 
he  who  is  being  resuscitated  is  in  a  tranquil    state,  being 
still  guarded  by  the  celestial  angels.     There  then  appears  a 
kind  of  shadow  of  an  azure  color,  with  a  little  star,  but  I 
perceived  that  this  takes  place  with  variety. 

185.  Afterwards  there  seems  to  be  something  gently  un- 
rolled from  the  face,  and  perception  is  communicated  to  him, 
the  angels  being  especially  cautious  to  prevent  any  idea  coming 
from  him  but  such  as  is  of  a  soft  and  tender  nature,  as  of 
love ;  and  it  is  now  given  him  to  know  that  he  is  a  spirit. 

186.  He  then  commences  his  life.     This  at  first  is  happy 
and  glad,  for  he  seems  to  himself  to  have  come  into  eternal  life, 
which  is  represented  by  a  bright  white  light  that  becomes  of  a 
beautiful  golden  tinge,  by  which  is  signified  his  first  life,  to 
wit,  that  it  is  celestial  as  well  as  spiritual. 

187.  His  being  next  taken  into  the  society  of  good  spirits 
is    represented  by  a  young  man  sitting  on  a  horse  and  di- 
recting it  toward  hell,  but  the  horse  cannot  move  a  step.     He 
is  represented  as  a  youth  because  when  he  first  enters  upon 
eternal  life  he  is  among  angels,  and  therefore  appears  to  him- 
self to  be  in  the  flower  of  youth. 

188.  His  subsequent  life  is  represented  by  his  dismounting 
from  the  horse  and  walking  on  foot,  because  he  cannot  make 
the  horse  move  from  the  place ;  and  it  is  insinuated  to  him 
that  he  must  be  instructed  in  the  knowledges  of  what  is  true 
and  good. 

189.  Afterwards   pathways  were  seen   sloping  gently  up- 
ward, which  signify  that  by  the  knowledges  of  what  is  true 
and  good,  and  by  self-acknowledgment,  he  should  be  led  by 
degrees  toward  heaven;  for  no  one  can  be  conducted  thither 
without    such  self-acknowledgment,   and  the   knowledges    of 
what  is  true  and  good.     A  continuation  of  this  subject  may 
be  seen  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 

VOL.   I.— 6 


82  GENESIS  [N.  189 


CHAPTER  III. 

1.  And  the  serpent  was  more  subtle  than  any  wild  animal 
of  the  field  which  Jehovah  God  had  made ;  and  he  said  unto 
the  woman,  Yea,  hath  God  said,  Ye  shall  not  eat  of  every  tree 
of  the  garden  ? 

2.  And  the  woman  said  unto  the  serpent,  We  may  eat  of  the 
fruit  of  the  tree  of  the  garden ; 

3.  But  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
garden,  God  hath  said,  Ye  shall  not  eat  of  it,  neither  shall  ye 
touch  it,  lest  ye  die. 

4.  And   the   serpent   said   unto  the  woman,  Ye  shall  not 
surely  die. 

5.  For  God  doth  know  that  in  the  day  ye  eat  thereof,  then 
your  eyes  shall  be  opened,  and  ye  shall  be  as  God,  knowing 
good  and  evil. 

6.  And  the  woman  saw  that  the  tree  was  good  for  food,  and 
that  it  was  pleasant  to  the  eyes,  and  a  tree  to  be  desired  to 
give  intelligence,  and  she  took  of  the  fruit  thereof  and  did 
eat,  and  she  gave  also  to  her  man  (vir)  with  her,  and  he  did 
eat. 

7.  And  the  eyes  of  them  both  were  opened,  and  they  knew 
that  they  were  naked ;  and  they  sewed  fig-leaves  together,  and 
made  themselves  girdles. 

8.  And  they  heard  the  voice  of  Jehovah  God  going  to  itself 
in  the  garden  in  the  air  of  the  day ;  and  the  man  and  his 
wife  hid  themselves  from  the  face  of   Jehovah  God  in  the 
midst  of  the  tree  of  the  garden. 

9.  And  Jehovah  God  cried  unto  the  man  (homo),  and  said 
unto  him,  Where  art  thou  ? 

10.  And  he  said,  I  heard  Thy  voice  in  the  garden,  and  I 
was  afraid,  because  I  was  naked ;  and  I  hid  myself. 

11.  And  He  said,  Who  told  thee  that  thou  wast  naked? 
hast  thou  eaten  of  the  tree  whereof  I  commanded  thee  that 
thou  shouldest  not  eat  ? 

12.  And  the  man  (homo)  said,  The  woman  whom  Thou  gavest 
to  be  with  me,  she  gave  me  of  the  tree,  and  I  did  eat. 


N.  190]  CHAPTER   III.  83 

13.  And  Jehovah  God  said  unto  the  woman,  Why  hast  thou 
done  this  ?  And  the  woman  said,  The  serpent  beguiled  me, 
and  I  did  eat. 


THE    CONTENTS. 

190.  The  third  state  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  is  treated 
of,  which  so  desired  its  Own  as  to  love  it. 

191.  Because  from  the  love  of  self,  that  is,  their  own  love, 
they  began  to  believe  nothing  that  they  did  not  apprehend  by 
the  senses,  the  sensuous  part  is  represented  by  the  "  serpent ;" 
the  love  of  self,  or  their  own  love,  by  the  "  woman ;"  and  the 
rational  by  the  "  man." 

192.  Hence  the  "serpent,"  or  sensuous  part,  persuaded  the 
woman  to  inquire  into  matters  pertaining  to  faith  in  the  Lord 
in  order  to  see  whether  they  are  really  so,  which  is  signified 
by  "  eating  of  the  tree  of  knowledge ;"  and  that  the  rational 
of  man  consented,  is  signified  by  "  the  man  that  he  did  eat" 
(verses  1-6). 

193.  But  they  perceived  that  they  were  in  evil ;  from  which 
remnant  of  perception,  signified  by  their  "  eyes  being  opened," 
and  by  their  "  hearing  the  voice  of  Jehovah"  (verses  7,  8),  and 
from  the   fig-leaves  of  which  they  made   themselves   girdles 
(verse  7),  and  from  their  shame  or  hiding  in  the  midst  of  the 
tree  of  the  garden  (verses  8,  9),  as  well  as  from  their  ac- 
knowledgment and  confession  (verses  10-13),  it  is  evident 
that  natural  goodness  still  remained  in  them. 


THE   INTEKNAL   SENSE. 

194.  Verse  1.  And  the  serpent  was  more  subtle  than  any 
wild  animal  of  the  field  which  Jehovah  God  had  made  ;  and 
he  said  unto  the  woman,  Yea,  hath  God  said,  Ye  shall  not  eat 
of  every  tree  of  the  garden  ?  By  the  "  serpent "  is  here  meant 
the  sensuous  part  of  man  in  which  he  trusts ;  by  the  "  wild 
animal  of  the  field,"  here,  as  before,  every  affection  of  the 


84  GENESIS  [N.  194 

external  man ;  by  the  "  woman,"  man's  Own ;  by  the  serpent's 
saying,  "  Yea,  hath  God  said,  Ye  shall  not  eat  of  every  tree  ?" 
that  they  began  to  doubt.  The  subject  here  treated  of  is  the 
third  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  which  began  not 
to  believe  in  things  revealed  unless  they  saw  and  felt  that 
they  were  so.  Their  first  state,  that  it  was  one  of  doubt,  is 
described  in  this  and  in  the  next  following  verse. 

195.  The  most  ancient  people  did  not  compare  all  things  in 
man  to  beasts  and  birds,  but  so  denominated  them ;  and  this 
their  customary  manner  of  speaking  remained  even  in  the 
Ancient  Church  after  the  flood,  and  was  preserved  among  the 
prophets.  The  sensuous  things  in  man  they  called  "  serpents," 
because  as  serpents  live  close  to  the  earth,  so  sensuous  things 
are  those  next  the  body.  Hence  also  reasonings  concerning 
the  mysteries  of  faith,  founded  on  the  evidence  of  the  senses, 
were  called  by  them  the  "  poison  of  a  serpent,"  and  the  rea- 
soners  themselves  "  serpents ;"  and  because  such  persons  rea- 
son much  from  sensuous,  that  is,  from  visible  things  (such  as 
are  things  terrestrial,  corporeal,  mundane,  and  natural),  it 
is  said  that  "the  serpent  was  more  subtle  than  any  wild 
animal  of  the  field."  [2]  And  so  in  David,  speaking  of  those 
who  seduce  man  by  reasonings  : — 

They  sharpen  their  tongue  like  a  serpent ;  the  poison  of  the  asp  is 
under  their  lips  (Ps.  cxl.  3). 

And  again : — 

They  go  astray  from  the  womb,  speaking  a  lie.  Their  poison  is  like 
the  poison  of  a  serpent,  like  the  deaf  poisonous  asp  that  stoppeth  her 
ear,  that  she  may  not  hear  the  voice  of  the  mutterers,  of  a  wise  one  that 
charmeth  charms  (sociantis  sodalitia  *)  (Ps.  Iviii.  3-6). 

Eeasonings  that  are  of  such  a  character  that  the  men  will  not 
even  hear  what  a  wise  one  says,  or  the  voice  of  the  wise,  are 
here  called  the  "poison  of  a  serpent."  Hence  it  became  a 
prcverb  among  the  ancients,  that  "The  serpent  stoppeth  the 
ear."  In  Amos  : — 

As  if  a  man  came  into  a  house,  and  leaned  his  hand  on  the  wall,  and 
a  serpent  bit  him.  Shall  not  the  day  of  Jehovah  be  darkness  and  not 
light.9  even  thick  darkness,  and  no  brightness  in  it?  (v.  19,  20). 

*  In  the  Apocalypse  Revealed  (n.  462^1,  instead  of  sociantis  sodalitia,  there  is 
incantatoris  incantationum.  [REVISER.] 


N.  195]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  1  85 

The  "  hand  on  the  wall"  means  self-derived  power,  and  trust 
in  sensuous  things,  whence  comes  the  blindness  which  is  here 
described.  [3]  In  Jeremiah : — 

The  voice  of  Egypt  shall  go  like  a  serpent,  for  they  shall  go  in  strength, 
and  shall  come  to  her  with  axes  as  hewers  of  wood.  They  shall  cut  down 
her  forest,  saith  Jehovah,  because  it  will  not  be  searched  ;  for  they  are 
multiplied  more  than  the  locust,  and  are  innumerable.  The  daughter  of 
Egypt  is  put  to  shame  ;  she  shall  be  delivered  into  the  hand  of  the  people 
of  the  north  (xlvi.  22-24). 

"  Egypt "  denotes  reasoning  about  Divine  things  from  sensuous 
things  and  memory-knowledges  (scientifica).  Such  reasonings 
are  called  the  "  voice  of  a  serpent ;"  and  the  blindness  thereby 
occasioned,  the  "  people  of  the  north."-  In  Job : — 

He  shall  suck  the  poison  of  asps ;  the  viper's  tongue  shall  slay  him. 
He  shall  not  see  the  brooks,  the  flowing  rivers  of  honey  and  butter 
(xx.  16,  17). 

"  Rivers  of  honey  and  butter"  are  things  spiritual  and  celes- 
tial, which  cannot  be  seen  by  mere  reasoners ;  reasonings  are 
called  the  "  poison  of  the  asp"  and  the  "  viper's  tongue." 
See  more  respecting  the  serpent  below,  at  verses  14  and  15. 

196.  In  ancient  times  those  were  called  "serpents"  who 
had  more  confidence  in  sensuous  things  than  in  revealed  ones. 
But  it  is  still  worse  at  the  present  day,  for  now  there  are  per- 
sons who  not  only  disbelieve  everything  they  cannot  see  and 
feel,  but  who  also  confirm  themselves  in  such  incredulity  by 
knowledges  (scientifica)  unknown  to  the  ancients,  and  thus 
occasion  in  themselves  a  far  greater  degree  of  blindness.  In 
order  that  it  may  be  known  how  those  blind  themselves,  so  as 
afterwards  to  see  and  hear  nothing,  who  form  their  conclusions 
concerning  heavenly  matters  from  the  things  of  sense,  of  mem- 
ory-knowledge, and  of  philosophy,  arid  who  are  not  only  "  deaf 
serpents,"  but  also  the  "  flying  serpents"  frequently  spoken  of 
in  the  Word,  which  are  much  more  pernicious,  we  will  take  as 
an  example  what  they  believe  about  the  spirit.  [2]  The  sensu- 
ous man,  or  he  who  only  believes  on  the  evidence  of  his  senses, 
denies  the  existence  of  the  spirit  because  he  cannot  see  it, 
saying,  "  It  is  nothing  because  I  do  not  feel  it :  that  which  I 
see  and  touch  I  know  exists."  The  man  of  memory-knowl- 
edge (scientificus),  or  he  who  forms  his  conclusions  from 


86  GENESIS  [N.  196 

memory-knowledges  (scientific),  says,  What  is  the  spirit,  except 
perhaps  vapor  or  heat,  or  some  other  entity  of  his  science, 
that  presently  vanishes  into  thin  air  ?  have  not  the  animals 
also  a  body,  senses,  and  something  analogous  to  reason  ?  and 
yet  it  is  asserted  that  these  will  die,  while  the  spirit  of 
man  will  live.  Thus  they  deny  the  existence  of  the  spirit. 
[3]  Philosophers  also,  who  would  be  more  acute  than  the  rest 
of  mankind,  speak  of  the  spirit  in  terms  which  they  them- 
selves do  not  understand,  for  they  dispute  about  them,  con- 
tending that  not  a  single  expression  is  applicable  to  the  spirit 
which  derives  anything  from  what  is  material,  organic,  or  ex- 
tended ;  thus  they  so  abstract  it  from  their  ideas  that  it 
vanishes  from  them,  and  becomes  nothing.  The  more  sane 
however  assert  that  the  spirit  is  thought ;  but  in  their  reason- 
ings about  thought,  in  consequence  of  separating  from  it  all 
substantiality,  they  at  last  conclude  that  it  must  vanish  away 
when  the  body  expires.  Thus  all  who  reason  from  the  things 
of  sense,  of  memory-knowledge,  and  of  philosophy,  deny  the 
existence  of  the  spirit,  and  therefore  believe  nothing  of  what 
is  said  about  the  spirit  and  spiritual  things.  Not  so  the  simple 
in  heart :  if  these  are  questioned  about  the  existence  of  spirit, 
they  say  they  know  it  exists,  because  the  Lord  has  said  that 
they  will  live  after  death ;  thus  instead  of  extinguishing  their 
rational,  they  vivify  it  by  the  Word  of  the  Lord. 

197.  Among  the  most  ancient  people,  who  were  celestial 
men,  by  the  "  serpent"  was  signified  circumspection,  and  also 
the  sensuous  part  through  which  they  exercised  circumspection 
so  as  to  be  secure  from  injury.     This  signification  of  a  "  ser- 
pent" is  evident  from  the  Lord's  words  to  His  disciples : — 

Behold,  I  send  you  forth  as  sheep  into  the  midst  of  wolves  ;  be  ye 
therefore  prudent  as  serpents,  and  simple  as  doves  (Matt.  x.  16). 

And  also  from  the  "  brazen  serpent"  that  was  set  up  in  the 
wilderness,  by  which  was  signified  the  sensuous  part  in  the 
Lord,  who  alone  is  the  celestial  man,  and  alone  takes  care 
of  and  provides  for  all ;  wherefore  all  who  looked  upon  it  were 
preserved. 

198.  Verses  2,  3.  And  the   woman   said  unto   the  serpent, 
We  may  eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  the  garden  ;  but  of  the 


N.  198]  CHAPTER   III.  VERS.  2,  3  87 

fruit  of  the  tree,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  God  hath 
said,  Ye  shall  not  eat  of  it,  neither  shall  ye  touch  it,  lest  ye  die. 
The  "  fruit  of  the  tree  of  the  garden,"  is  the  good  and  truth 
revealed  to  them  from  the  Most  Ancient  Church ;  the  "  fruit 
of  the  tree  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  of  which  they 
were  not  to  eat,"  is  the  good  and  truth  of  faith,  which  they 
were  not  to  learn  from  themselves ;  "  not  to  touch  it,"  is  a 
prohibition  against  thinking  of  the  good  and  truth  of  faith 
from  themselves,  or  from  what  is  of  sense  and  memory-knowl- 
edge (sensuali  et  scientifico) ;  "  lest  ye  die,"  is  because  thus 
faith,  or  all  wisdom  and  intelligence,  would  perish. 

199.  That  the  "fruit  of  the  tree  of  which  they  might  eat," 
signifies  the  good  and  truth  of  faith  revealed  to  them  from  the 
Most  Ancient  Church,  or  the  knowledges  (cognitiones}  of  faith, 
is  evident  from  the  fact  that  it  is  said  to  be  the  "  fruit  of  the 
tree  of  the  garden  of  which  they  might  eat,"  and  not  the  "  tree 
of  the  garden,"  as  before  when  treating  of  the  celestial  man,  or 
the  Most  Ancient  Church  (ii.  16).     The  "  tree  of  the  garden," 
as  it  is  there  called,  is  the  perception  of  what  is  good  and  true ; 
which  good  and  truth,  because  they  are  from  that  source,  are 
here  called  "  fruit,"  and  are  also  frequently  signified  by  "  fruit" 
in  the  Word. 

200.  The   reason  why  the   "tree  of    knowledge"  is  here 
spoken  of  as  being  "  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,"  although  pre- 
viously (ii.  9),  the  tree  of  lives  was  said  to  be  in  the  midst  of 
the  garden,  and  not  the  tree  of  knowledge,  is  that  the  "  midst" 
of  the  garden  signifies  the  inmost ;  and  the  inmost  of  the  celes- 
tial man,  or  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  was  the  "  tree  of 
lives,"  which  is  love  and  the  faith  thence  derived ;  whereas 
with  this  man,  who  may  be  called  a  celestial  spiritual  man,  or 
with  this  posterity,  faith  was  the  "  midst"  of  the  garden,  or 
the  inmost.     It  is  impossible  more  fully  to  describe  the  quality 
of  the  men  who  lived  in  that  most  ancient  time,  because  at  the 
present  day  it  is  utterly  unknown,  their  genius  being  alto- 
gether different  from  what  is  ever  found  with  any  one  now. 
For  the  purpose  however  of   conveying  some  idea  of  their 
genius,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  from  good  they  knew  truth, 
or  from  love  they  knew  what  is  of  faith.     But  when  that  gen- 
eration expired,  another  succeeded  of  a  totally  different  genius, 


88  GENESIS  [N.  200 

for  instead  of  discerning  the  true  from  the  good,  or  what  is 
of  faith  from  love,  they  acquired  the  knowledge  of  what  is 
good  by  means  of  truth,  or  what  is  of  love  from  the  knowl- 
edges of  faith,  and  with  very  many  among  them  there  was 
scarcely  anything  but  knowledge  (quod  scirent).  Such  was  the 
change  made  after  the  flood  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  the 
world. 

201.  Seeing  therefore  that  such  a  genius  as  that  of  the 
most  ancient  people  anterior  to  the  flood  is  not  found  and  does 
not  exist  at  the  present  day,  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  explain  in- 
telligibly what  the  words  of  this  passage  in  their  genuine  sense 
imply.     They  are  however  perfectly  understood  in  heaven,  for 
the  angels  and  angelic  spirits  who  are  called  celestial  are  of 
the  same  genius  as  the  most  ancient  people  who  were  regenerate 
before  the  flood ;  while  the  angels  and  angelic  spirits  who  are 
termed  spiritual  are  of  a  similar  genius  to  the  regenerate  after 
the  flood,  although  in  both  cases  with  indefinite  variety. 

202.  The  Most  Ancient  Church,  which  was  a  celestial  man, 
was  of  such  a  character  as  not  only  to  abstain  from  "  eating  of 
the  tree  of  knowledge,"  that  is,  from  learning  what  belongs  to 
faith  from  sensuous  things  and  memory-knowledges  (scientifica), 
but  was  not  even  allowed  to  touch  that  tree,  that  is,  to  think 
of  anything  that  is  a  matter  of  faith  from  sensuous  things  and 
memory -knowledges,  lest  they  should  sink  down  from  celestial 
life  into  spiritual  life,  and  so  on  downward.     Such  also  is  the 
life  of  the  celestial  angels,  the  more  interiorly  celestial  of  whom 
do  not  even  suffer  faith  to  be  named,  nor  anything  whatever 
that  partakes  of  what  is  spiritual ;  and  if  it  is  spoken  of  by 
others,  instead  of  faith  they  have  a  perception  of  love,  with  a 
difference  known  only  to  themselves  ;  thus  whatever  is  of  faith 
they  derive  from  love  and  charity.     Still  less  can  they  endure 
listening  to  any  reasoning  about  faith,  and  least  of  all  to  any- 
thing of  memory-knowledge  (scientificum)  respecting  it ;   for, 
through  love,  they  have  a  perception  from  the  Lord  of  what  is 
good  and  true ;  and  from  this  perception  they  know  instantly 
whether  a  thing  is  so,  or  is  not  so.     Therefore  when  anything 
is  said  about  faith,  they  answer  simply  that  it  is  so,  or  that  it 
is  not  so,  because  they  perceive  it  from  the  Lord.     This  is 
what  is  signified  by  the  Lord's  words  in  Matthew : — 


N.  202]  CHAPTER   III.  VERS.  2,  3  89 

Let  your  communication  be  Yea,  yea ;  Nay,  nay ;  for  whatsoever  is 
more  than  these  cometh  of  evil  (v.  37). 

This  then  is  what  was  meant  by  their  not  being  allowed  to 
touch  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  knowledge ;  for  if  they  touched 
it,  they  would  be  in  evil,  that  is,  they  would  in  consequence 
"  die."  Nevertheless  the  celestial  angels  converse  together  on 
various  subjects  like  the  other  angels,  but  in  a  celestial  lan- 
guage, which  is  formed  and  derived  from  love,  and  is  more 
ineffable  than  that  of  the  spiritual  angels. 

203.  The  spiritual  angels,  however,  converse  about  faith,  and 
even  confirm  the  things  of  faith  by  those  of  the  intellect,  of 
the  reason,  and  of  the  memory  (per  intellectualia,  rationalia, 
et  scientifica),  but  they  never  form  their  conclusions  concerning 
matters  of  faith  on  such  grounds  :  those  who  do  this  are  in 
evil.     They  are  also  endowed  by  the  Lord  with  a  perception  of 
all  the  truths  of  faith,  although  not  with  such  a  perception  as 
is  that  of  the  celestial  angels.     The  perception  of  the  spiritual 
angels  is  a  kind  of  conscience  which  is  vivified  by  the  Lord, 
and  which  indeed  appears  like  celestial  perception,  yet  is  not 
so,  but  is  only  spiritual  perception. 

204.  Verses  4,  5.  And  the  serpent  said  unto  the  woman,  Ye 
shall  not  surely  die.     For  God  doth  know  that  in  the  day  ye  eat 
thereof,  then  your  eyes  shall  be  opened,  and  ye  shall  be  as  God, 
knowing  good  and  evil.    Their  "  eyes  being  opened  by  eating  of 
the  fruit  of  the  tree,"  signifies  that  if  they  were  to  examine  the 
things  of  faith  from  what  is  of  sense  and  knowledge  (ex  sensu- 
ali  et  scientifico*),  that  is,  from  themselves,  they  would  plainly 
see  those  things  as  if  erroneous.     And  that  they  would  be  "  as 
God,  knowing  good  and  evil,"  denotes  that  if  they  did  so  from 
themselves,  they  would  be  as  God,  and  could  guide  themselves. 

205.  Every  verse  contains  a  particular  state,  or  change  of 
state,  in  the  church :  the  preceding  verses,  that  although  thus 
inclined  they  nevertheless  perceived  it  to  be  unlawful ;  these 
verses,  an  incipient  doubt  whether  it  might  not  be  lawful  for 
them,  since  they  would  thus  see  whether  the  things  they  had 
heard  from  their  forefathers  were  true,  and  so  their  eyes  would 
be  opened.     At  length,  in  consequence  of  the  ascendancy  of 
self-love,  they  began  to  think  that  they  could  lead  themselves, 
and  thus  be  like   the  Lord;   for  such  is  the  nature  of  the 


90  GENESIS  [N.  205 

love  of  self  that  it  is  unwilling  to  submit  to  the  Lord's  leading, 
and  prefers  to  be  self-guided,  and  being  self-guided  to  consult 
the  things  of  sense  and  of  memory-knowledge  as  to  what  is  to 
be  believed. 

206.  Who  have  a  stronger  belief  that  their  eyes  are  open, 
and  that  as  God  they  know  what  is  good  and  evil,  than  those 
who  love  themselves,  and  at  the  same  time  excel  in  worldly 
learning  ?  And  yet  who  are  more  blind  ?  Only  question  them, 
and  it  will  be  seen  that  they  do  not  even  know,  much  less  be- 
lieve in,  the  existence  of  spirit ;  with  the  nature  of  spiritual 
and  celestial  life  they  are  utterly  unacquainted ;  they  do  not 
acknowledge  an  eternal  life ;  for  they  believe  themselves  to  be 
like  the  brutes  which  perish ;  neither  do  they  acknowledge  the 
Lord,  but  worship  only  themselves  and  nature.  Those  among 
them  who  wish  to  be  guarded  in  their  expressions,  say  that  a 
certain  Supreme  Existence  (Ens)  of  the  nature  of  which  they 
are  ignorant,  rules  all  things.  These  are  the  principles  in 
which  they  confirm  themselves  in  many  ways  by  things  of 
sense  and  of  memory-knowledge,  and  if  they  dared,  they  would 
do  the  same  before  all  the  universe.  Although  such  persons 
desire  to  be  regarded  as  gods,  or  as  the  wisest  of  men,  if  they 
were  asked  whether  they  know  what  it  is  not  to  have  any- 
thing of  their  own,  they  would  answer  that  it  is  to  have  no 
existence,  and  that  if  they  were  deprived  of  everything  that 
is  their  own,  they  would  be  nothing.  If  they  are  asked  what 
it  is  to  live  from  the  Lord,  they  think  it  a  phantasy.  If  asked 
whether  they  know  what  conscience  is,  they  would  say  it  is  a 
mere  creature  of  the  imagination,  which  may  be  of  service  in 
keeping  the  vulgar  under  restraint.  If  asked  whether  they 
know  what  perception  is,  they  would  merely  laugh  at  it  and  call 
it  enthusiastic  rubbish.  Such  is  their  wisdom,  such  "  open  eyes" 
have  they,  and  such  "  gods"  are  they.  Principles  like  these, 
which  they  think  clearer  than  the  day,  they  make  their  starting- 
point,  and  so  continue  on,  and  in  this  way  reason  about  the  mys- 
teries of  faith  ;  and  what  can  be  the  result  but  an  abyss  of  dark- 
ness ?  These  above  all  others  are  the  "  serpents"  who  seduce 
the  world.  But  this  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  was 
not  as  yet  of  such  a  character.  That  which  became  such  is 
treated  of  from  verse  14  to  verse  19  of  this  chapter. 


N.  207]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  6  91 

207.  Verse  6.  And  the  woman  saw  that  the  tree  was  good 
for  food ',  and  that  it  was  pleasant  to  the  eyes,  and  a  tree  to  be 
desired  to  (jive  intelligence,  and  she  took  of  the  fruit  thereof  and 
did  eat,  and  she  gave  also  to  her  husband  (vir)  with  her,  and  he 
did  eat.     "  Good  for  food,"  signifies  cupidity  ;  "  pleasant  to  the 
eyes,"  phantasy  ;  and  "  desirable  to  give  intelligence,"  pleasure  : 
these  are  of  the  Own,  or  "  woman :"  by  the  "  husband  eating," 
is  signified  the  consent  of  the  rational  (n.  265). 

208.  This  was  the  fourth  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church,  who  suffered  themselves  to  be  seduced  by  self-love 
(amore  proprio)  and  were  unwilling  to  believe  what  was  re- 
vealed, unless  they  saw  it  confirmed  by  the  things  of  sense  and 
of  memory-knowledge. 

209.  The  expressions  here  employed,  as  that  "the  tree  was 
good  for  food,  pleasant  to  the  eyes,  and  desirable  for  giving  in- 
telligence," are  such  as  were  adapted  to  the  genius  of  those  who 
lived  in  that  most  ancient  time,  having  especial  reference  to  the 
will,  because  their  evils  streamed  out  from  the  will.     Where 
the  Word  treats  of  the  people  who  lived  after  the  flood,  such 
expressions  are  used  as  relate  not  so  much  to  the  will  as  to  the 
understanding ;  for  the  most  ancient  people  had  truth  from 
good,  but  those  who  lived  after  the  flood  had  good  from  truth. 

210.  What  man's  Own  is  may  be  stated  in  this  way.    Man's 
Own  is  all  the  evil  and  falsity  that  springs  from  the  love 
of  self  and  of  the  world,  and  from  not  believing  in  the  Lord  or 
the  Word  but  in  self,  and  from  supposing  that  what  cannot  be 
apprehended  sensuously  and  by  means  of  memory-knowledge 
(sensualiter  et  scientifice)  is  nothing.     In  this  way  men  become 
mere  evil  and  falsity,  and  therefore  regard  all  things  pervert- 
edly ;  things  that  are  evil  they  see  as  good,  and  things  that 
are  good  as  evil ;  things  that  are  false  they  see  as  true,  and 
things  that  are  true  as  false  ;  things  that  really  exist  they  sup- 
pose to  be  nothing,  and  things  that  are  nothing  they  suppose 
to  be  everything.     They  call  hatred  love,  darkness  light,  death 
life,  and  the  converse.     In  the  Word,  such  men  are  called  the 
"  lame"  and  the  "  blind."  Such  then  is  the  Own  of  man,  which 
in  itself  is  infernal  and  accursed. 

211.  Verse  7.  And  the  eyes  of  them,  both  were  opened,  and 
they  knew  that  they  were  naked.     Their  "  eyes  being  opened," 


92  GENESIS  [N.  211 

signifies  their  knowing  and  acknowledging,  from  an  interior 
dictate,  that  they  were  "  naked,"  that  is,  no  longer  in  inno- 
cence, as  before,  but  in  evil. 

212.  That  by  having  the  "  eyes  opened"  is  signified  an  inte- 
rior dictate,  is  evident  from  similar  expressions  in  the  Word, 
as  from  what  Balaam  says  of  himself,  who  in  consequence  of 
having  visions  calls  himself  the  "  man  whose  eyes  are  opened" 
(Nam.  xxiv.  3).     And  from  Jonathan,  who  when  he  tasted  of 
the  honey-comb  and  had  a  dictate  from  within  that  it  was  evil, 
said  that  his  "  eyes  saw,"  that  is,  were  enlightened,  so  that  he 
saw  what  he  knew  not  (1  Sam.  xiv.  29).      Moreover  in  the 
Word,  the  "  eyes"  are  often  used  to  denote  the  understanding, 
and  thus  an  interior  dictate  theref rom,  as  in  David : — 

Lighten  mine  eyes,  lest  I  sleep  the  sleep  of  death  (Ps.  xiii.  3), 

where  "  eyes"  denote  the  understanding.  So  in  Ezekiel,  speak- 
ing of  those  who  are  not  willing  to  understand,  who  "  have  eyes 
to  see,  and  see  not"  (xii.  2).  In  Isaiah : — 

Shut  their  eyes,  lest  they  see  with  their  eyes  (vi.  10), 

denotes  that  they  should  be  made  blind,  lest  they  should  un- 
derstand. So  Moses  said  to  the  people, 

Jehovah  hath  not  given  you  a  heart  to  know,  and  eyes  to  see,  and  ears 
to  hear  (Deut.  xxix.  4), 

where  "  heart"  denotes  the  will,  and  "  eyes"  denote  the  under- 
standing.  In  Isaiah  it  is  said  of  the  Lord,  that  "  He  should 
open  the  blind  eyes"  (xlii.  7).  And  in  the  same  Prophet :  "  The 
eyes  of  the  blind  shall  see  out  of  thick  darkness  and  out  of 
darkness"  (xxix.  18). 

213.  By  "knowing  that  they  were  naked"  is  signified  their 
knowing  and  acknor'1  edging  themselves  to  be  no  longer  in  in- 
nocence as  before,  but  in  evil,  as  is  evident  from  the  last  verse 
of  the  preceding  chapter,  where  it  is  said  "  and  they  were  both 
naked,  the  man  and  his  wife,  and  were  not  ashamed,"  and  where 
it  may  be  seen  that  "  not  to  be  ashamed  because  they  were 
naked"  signifies  to  be  innocent.     The  contraiy  is  signified  by 
their  "  being  ashamed,"  as  in  this  verse,  where  it  is  said  that 
they  "  sewed  fig-leaves  together,  and  hid  themselves  ;"  for  where 
there  is  no  innocence,  nakedness  is  a  scandal  and  disgrace,  be- 


N.  213]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  7  93 

cause  it  is  attended  with  a  consciousness  of  thinking  evil.  For 
this  reason  "  nakedness"  is  used  in  the  Word  as  a  type  of  dis- 
grace and  evil,  and  is  predicated  of  a  perverted  church,  as  in 
Ezekiel : — 

Thou  wast  naked  and  bare,  and  trampled  on  in  thy  blood  (xvi.  22). 
Again : — 

They  shall  leave  her  naked  and  bare,  and  the  nakedness  shall  be  un- 
covered (xxiii.  29). 

In  John : — 

I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of    Me  white  raiment  that  thou  mayest  be 
clothed,  and  that  the  shame  of  thy  nakedness  do  not  appear  (Rev.  iii.  18). 

And  concerning  the  last  day : — 

Blessed  is  he  who  watcheth,  and  keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk 
naked  and  they  see  his  shame  (Rev.  xvi.  16). 

In  Deuteronomy : — 

If  a  man  hath  found  some  nakedness  in  his  wife,  let  him  write  her  a 
bill  of  divorcement  (xxiv.  1). 

For  the  same  reason  Aaron  and  his  sons  were  commanded  to 
have  linen  breeches  when  they  came  to  the  altar,  and  to 
minister,  to  "cover  the  flesh  of  their  nakedness,  lest  they 
should  bear  iniquity,  and  die"  (Exod.  xxviii.  42,  43). 

214.  They  are  called  "naked"  because  left  to  their  Own; 
for  they  who  are  left  to  their  Own,  that  is,  to  themselves,  have 
no  longer  anything  of  intelligence  and  wisdom,  or  of  faith,  and 
consequently  are  "  naked"  as  to  truth  and  good,  and  are  there- 
fore in  evil. 

215.  That  man's  Own  is  nothing  but  evil  and  falsity  has  been 
made  evident  to  me  from  the  fact  that  whatever  spirits  have 
at  any  time  said  from  themselves  has  been  so  evil  and  false 
that  whenever  it  was  made  known  to  me  that  they  spoke  from 
themselves  I  at  once  knew  that  it  was  false,  even  though  while 
speaking  they  were  themselves  so  thoroughly  persuaded  of  the 
truth  of  what  they  said  as  to  have  no  doubt  about  it.     The 
case  is  the  same  with  men  who  speak  from  themselves.     And 
in  the  same  way,  whenever  any  persons  have  begun  to  reason 
concerning  the  things  of  spiritual  and  celestial  life,  or  those  of 
faith,  I  could  perceive  that  they  doubted,  and  even  denied,  for 


94  GENESIS  [N.  215 

to  reason  concerning  faith,  is  to  doubt  and  deny.  And  as  it  is 
all  from  self  or  their  Own,  they  sink  into  mere  falsities,  conse- 
quently into  an  abyss  of  thick  darkness,  that  is,  of  falsities, 
and  when  they  are  in  this  abyss  the  smallest  objection  prevails 
over  a  thousand  truths,  just  as  a  minute  particle  of  dust  in 
contact  with  the  pupil  of  the  eye  shuts  out  the  universe  and 
everything  it  contains.  Of  such  persons  the  Lord  says  in 
Isaiah : — 

Woe  unto  those  who  are  wise  in  their  own  eyes,  and  intelligent  before 
their  own  faces  (v.  21). 

And  again : — 

Thy  wisdom  and  thy  knowledge,  it  hath  turned  thee  away,  and  thou 
hast  said  in  thine  heart,  I,  and  none  else  besides  me  ;  and  evil  shall  come 
upon  thee,  thou  shalt  not  know  from  whence  it  riseth,  and  mischief  shall 
fall  upon  thee,  which  thou  shalt  not  be  able  to  expiate,  and  vastation 
shall  come  upon  thee  suddenly,  of  which  thou  art  not  aware  (xlvii.  10, 11). 

In  Jeremiah : — 

Every  man  is  made  stupid  by  knowledge  (scientia),  every  founder  is 
confounded  by  the  graven  image,  for  his  molten  image  is  falsehood, 
neither  is  there  breath  in  them  (li.  17). 

A  "  graven  image"  is  the  falsity,  and  a  "  molten  image"  the 
evil,  of  man's  Own. 

216.  And  they  sewed  fig-leaves  together,  and  made  themselves 
girdles.     To  "  sew  leaves  together,"  is  to  excuse  themselves ; 
the  "  fig-tree"  is  natural  good ;  and  to  "  make  themselves  gir- 
dles," is   to  be   affected  with  shame.     Thus   spake  the  most 
ancient  people,  and  thus  they  described  this  posterity  of  the 
church,  signifying  that  instead  of  the  innocence  they  had  for- 
merly enjoyed,  they  possessed  only  natural  good,  by  which 
their  evil  was   concealed ;  and  being  in  natural  good,  they 
were  affected  with  shame. 

217.  That  the  "vine"  is  used  in  the  Word  to  signify  spir- 
itual good,  and  the  "  fig-tree"  natural  good,  is  at  this  day  utterly 
unknown,  because  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word  has  been  lost ; 
nevertheless,  wherever  these  expressions  occur,  they  signify 
or  involve  this  meaning ;  as  also  in  what  the  Lord  spake  in 
parables    concerning   a   "  vineyard"  and   a   "  fig-tree ;"    as  in 
Matthew  • — 


N.  217]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  7  95 

Jesus  seeing  a  fig-tree  in  the  way,  came  to  it,  but  found  nothing  thereon 
save  leaves  only,  and  He  said  unto  it,  Let  no  fruit  grow  on  thee  hence- 
forward forever ;  and  presently  the  fig-tree  withered  away  (xxi.  19), 

by  which  is  meant,  that  no  good,  not  even  natural  good,  was 
to  be  found  upon  the  earth.  Similar  is  the  meaning  of  the 
"  vine"  and  "  fig-tree"  in  Jeremiah : — 

Were  they  ashamed  when  they  had  committed  abomination  ?  Nay, 
they  were  not  at  all  ashamed,  and  they  knew  not  how  to  blush  ;  there- 
fore I  will  surely  gather  them,  saith  Jehovah  ;  there  shall  be  no  grapes 
on  the  vine,  nor  figs  on  the  fig-tree,  and  the  leaf  hath  fallen  (viii.  12,  13), 

by  which  is  signified  that  all  good,  both  spiritual  and  natural, 
had  perished,  since  they  were  so  depraved  as  to  have  lost  even 
the  sense  of  shame,  like  those  at  the  present  day  who  are  in 
evil,  and  who,  so  far  from  blushing  for  their  wickedness,  make 
it  their  boast.  In  Jfosea  : — 

I  found  Israel  like  grapes  in  the  wilderness  ;  I  saw  your  fathers  as  the 
first-ripe  in  the  fig-tree  in  the  beginning  (ix.  10). 

And  in  Joel : — 

Be  not  afraid,  ye  beasts  of  My  fields,  for  the  tree  shall  bear  its  fruit, 
the  fig-tree  and  the  vine  shall  yield  their  strength  (ii.  22). 

The  "vine"  here  denotes  spiritual  good,  and  the  "fig-tree" 
natural  good. 

218.  Verse  8.  And  they  heard  the  voice  of  Jehovah  God 
going  to  itself  in  the  garden  in  the  air  of  the  day  ;  and  the  man 
and  his  wife  hid  themselves  from  the  face  of  Jehovah  God  in 
the  midst  of  the  tree  of  the  garden.  By  the  "  voice  of  Jehovah 
God  going  to  itself  in  the  garden,"  is  signified  an  internal 
dictate  which  caused  them  to  feel  afraid,  this  dictate  being  the 
residue  of  the  perception  which  they  had  possessed ;  by  the 
"  air"  or  "  breath"  of  the  "  day,"  is  denoted  a  period  when  the 
church  still  possessed  some  residue  of  perception;  to  "hide 
themselves  from  the  face  of  Jehovah  God,"  is  to  fear  the  dic- 
tate, as  is  wont  to  be  the  case  with  those  who  are  conscious  of 
evil ;  by  the  "  midst  of  the  tree  of  the  garden,"  in  which  they 
hid  themselves,  is  signified  natural  good ;  that  which  is  inmost 
is  called  the  "  midst  j"  the  "  tree"  denotes  perception  as  before ; 
but  because  there  was  little  perception  remaining,  the  tree  is 


96  GENESIS  [N.  218 

spoken  of  in  the  singular  number,  as  if  there  were  only  one 
remaining. 

219.  That  by  the  "voice  of  Jehovah  God  going  to  itself  in 
the  garden,"  is  meant  an  internal  dictate  of  which  they  were 
afraid,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  voice"  in  the  Word, 
where  the  "  voice  of  Jehovah"  is  used  to  designate  the  Word 
itself,  the    doctrine  of   faith,  conscience  or    a   taking  notice 
inwardly,  and  also  every  reproof  thence  resulting ;  whence  it 
is  that  thunders  are  called  the  "voices  of  Jehovah,"  as  in 
John : — 

The  angel  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  as  a  lion  roareth,  and  when  he  had 
cried  seven  thunders  uttered  their  voices  (Rev.  x.  3), 

denoting  that  there  was  then  a  voice  both  external  and  internal. 
Again : — 

In  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel  the  mystery  of  God  shall 
be  consummated  (Rev.  x.  7). 

In  David : — 

Sing  unto  God,  sing  praises  unto  the  Lord,  who  rideth  upon  the  heav- 
ens of  heavens  which  were  of  old ;  lo,  He  shall  send  out  His  voice,  a 
voice  of  strength  (Ps.  Ixviii.  32,  33). 

The  "  heavens  of  heavens  which  were  of  old,"  denote  the  wis- 
dom of  the  Most  Ancient  Church ;  "  voice,"  revelation,  and  also 
an  internal  dictate.  Again : — 

The  voice  of  Jehovah  is  upon  the  waters  ;  the  voice  of  Jehovah  is  in 
power  ;  the  voice  of  Jehovah  is  in  glory  ;  the  voice  of  Jehovah  breaketh 
the  cedars  ;  the  voice  of  Jehovah  divideth  the  flames  of  fire  ;  the  voice  of 
Jehovah  maketh  the  wilderness  to  shake  ;  the  voice  of  Jehovah  maketh 
the  hinds  to  calve,  and  uncovereth  the  forests  (Ps.  xxix.  3-5  and  7-9). 

And  in  Isaiah  : — 

Jehovah  shall  cause  the  excellency  of  His  voice  to  be  heard,  for  through 
the  voice  of  Jehovah  shall  Asshur  be  beaten  down  (xxx.  30,  31). 

220.  By  the  "  voice  going  to  itself,"  is  meant   that  there 
was  but  little  perception  remaining,  and  that  alone  as  it  were 
by  itself  and  unheard,  as  is  manifest  also  from  the  following 
verse  where  it  is  said,  "  Jehovah  called  to  the  man."     So  in 
Isaiah : — 

The  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness  ;  the  voice  said,  Cry  (xl.  3 
and  6). 


N.  220]  CHAPTER   IH.  VER.  8  97 

The  "wilderness"  is  a  church  where  there  is  no  faith;  the 
"voice  of  one  crying,"  is  the  annunciation  of  the  Lord's  ad- 
vent, and  in  general  every  announcement  of  His  coming,  as 
with  the  regenerate,  with  whom  there  is  an  internal  dictate. 

221.  That  by  the  "air"  or  "  breath"  "of  the  day,"  is  signi- 
fied a  period  when  the  church  had  still  somewhat  of  percep- 
tion remaining,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  day" 
and  of  "  night."    The  most  ancient  people  compared  the  states 
of  the  church  to  the  times  of  the  day  and  of  the  night,  to  the 
times  of  the  day  when  the  church  was  still  in  light,  where- 
fore this  state  is  compared  to  the  breath  or  air  "  of  the  day," 
because  there  was  still  some  remnant  of  perception  by  which 
they  knew  that  they  were  fallen.    The  Lord  also  calls  the  state 
of  faith  "  day,"  and  that  of  no  faith  "  night ;"  as  in  John : — 

I  must  work  the  works  of  Him  that  sent  Me,  while  it  is  day  ;  the  night 
cometh  when  no  man  can  work  (ix.  4). 

The  states  of  the  regeneration  of  man  were  for  the  same  rea- 
son called  "  days"  in  chapter  i. 

222.  That  to  "hide  themselves  from  the  face  of  Jehovah," 
means  to  be  afraid  of  the  dictate,  as  is  wont  to  be  the  case 
with  those  who  are  conscious  of  evil,  is  evident  from  their 
reply  (verse  10) :    "  I  heard  Thy  voice  in  the  garden,  and  I 
was  afraid  because  I  was  naked."     The  "  face  of  Jehovah,"  or 
of  the  Lord,  is  mercy,  peace,  and  every  good,  as  is  clearly  evi- 
dent from  the  benediction  -. — 

Jehovah  make  His  faces  to  shine  upon  thee,  and  be  merciful  unto  thee  ; 
Jehovah  lift  up  His  faces  upon  thee,  and  give  thee  peace  (Num.  vi.  25,  26). 

And  in  David : — 

God  be  merciful  unto  us,  and  bless  us,  and  cause  His  faces  to  shine 
upon  us  (Ps.  Ixvii.  1). 

And  in  another  place  : — 

There  be  many  that  say,  Who  will  show  us  any  good  ?    Jehovah,  lift 
Thou  up  the  light  of  Thy  faces  upon  us  (Ps.  iv.  6). 

The  mercy  of  the  Lord  is  therefore  called  the  "  angel  of  faces," 
in  Isaiah : — 

I  will  make  mention  of  the  mercies  of  Jehovah ;  He  hath  requited 
them  according  to  His  mercies,  and  according  to  the  multitude  of  His 
VOL.  I— 1 


98  GENESIS  [N.  222 

mercies ;  and  He  became  their  Saviour.  In  all  their  affliction  He  was 
afflicted,  and  the  angel  of  His  faces  saved  them  ;  in  His  love  and  in  His 
pity  He  redeemed  them  (Ixiii.  7-9). 

223.  As  the  "face  of  the  Lord"  is  mercy,  peace,  and  every 
good,  it  is  evident  that  He  regards  all  from  mercy,  and  never 
averts  His  countenance  from  any ;  but  that  it  is  man,  when 
in  evil,  who  turns  away  his  face,  as  is  said  by  the  Lord  in 
Isaiah : — 

Your  iniquities  have  separated  between  you  and  your  God,  and  your 
sins  have  hid  His  face  from  you  (lix.  2)  ; 

and  here,  "they  hid  themselves  from  the  face  of  Jehovah, 
because  they  were  naked." 

224.  Mercy,  peace,  and  every  good,  or  the  "  faces  of  Jeho- 
vah," are  the  cause  of  the  dictate  with  those  who  have  per- 
ception, and  also,  although  in  a  different  manner,  with  those 
who  have  conscience,  and  they  always  operate  mercifully,  but 
are  received  according  to  the  state  in  which  the  man  is.     The 
state   of   this   man,  that   is,  of   this   posterity  of  the   Most 
Ancient  Church,  was  one  of  natural  good ;  and  they  who  are 
in  natural  good  are  of  such  a  character  that  they  hide  them- 
selves through  fear  and  shame  because  they  are  naked :  while 
such  as  are  destitute  of  natural  good  do  not  hide  themselves, 
because  they  are  insusceptible  of  shame ;  concerning  whom, 
in  Jeremiah  viii.  12,  13.     (See  above,  n.  217.) 

225.  That  the  "midst  of  the  tree  of  the  garden,"  signifies 
natural  good,  in  which  there  is  some  perception  which  is  called 
a  "  tree,"  is  also  evident  from  the  "  garden"  in  which  the  celes- 
tial man  dwelt ;  for  everything  good  and  true  is  called  a  "  gar- 
den," with  a  difference  according  to  the  man  who  cultivates  it. 
Good  is  not  good  unless  its  inmost  is  celestial,  from  which,  01 
through  which,  from  the  Lord,  comes  perception.    This  inmost 
is  here  called  the  "  midst,"  as  also  elsewhere  in  the  Word. 

226.  Verses  9, 10.  And  Jehovah  God  cried  unto  the  man,  and 
said  unto  him,  Where  art  thou  ?    And  he  said,  I  heard  Thy  voice 
in  the  garden,  and  I  was  afraid,  because  I  was  naked  ;  and  1 
hid  myself     The  meaning  of  "  crying,"  of  the  "  voice  in  the 
garden,"  of  their  "  being  afraid  because  they  were  naked,"  and 
of  "  hiding  t-iemselves,"  has  been  previously  explained.     It  is 


N.  226]  CHAPTER   III.   VERS.  9,  10  99 

common  in  the  Word  for  man  to  be  first  asked  where  he  is  and 
what  he  is  doing,  although  the  Lord  previously  knew  all  things ; 
but  the  reason  for  asking  is  that  man  may  acknowledge  and 
confess. 

227.  As  it  is  desirable  that  the  origin  of  perception,  internal 
dictate,  and  conscience,  should  be  known,  and  as  at  the  present 
day  it  is  altogether  unknown,  I  may  relate  something  on  the 
subject.    It  is  a  great  truth  that  man  is  governed  by  the  Lord 
by  means  of  spirits  and  angels.     When  evil  spirits  begin  to 
rule,  the  angels  labor  to  avert  evils  and  falsities,  and  hence 
arises  a  combat.    It  is  this  combat  of  which  the  man  is  rendered 
sensible  by  perception,  dictate,  and  conscience.    By  these,  and 
also  by  temptations,  a  man  might  clearly  see  that  spirits  and 
angels  are  with  him,  were  he  not  so  deeply  immersed  in  cor- 
poreal things  as  to  believe  nothing  that  is  said  about  spirits 
and  angels.     Such  persons,  even  if  they  were  to  feel  these 
combats  hundreds  of  times,  would  still  say  that  they  are  im- 
aginary, and  the  effect  of   a  disordered  mind.     I  have  been 
permitted  to  feel  such  combats,  and  to  have  a  vivid  sense  of 
them,  thousands  and  thoxisands  of  times,  and  this  almost  con- 
stantly for  several  years,  as  well  as  to  know  who,  what,  and 
where  they  were  that  caused  them,  when  they  came,  and  when 
they  departed ;  and  I  have  conversed  with  them. 

228.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  exquisite  perception 
whereby  the  angels  discover  whether  anything  gains  admission 
that  is  contrary  to  the  truth  of  faith  and  the  good  of  love. 
They  perceive  the  quality  of  what  enters,  and  when  it  enters, 
a  thousand  times  more  perfectly  than  the  man  himself,  who 
scarcely  knows  anything  about  it.     The  least  of  thought  in  a 
man  is  more  fully  perceived  by  the  angels  than  the  greatest  is 
by  himself.     This  is  indeed  incredible,  yet  is  most  true. 

229.  Verses  11-13.    And  He  said,  Who  told  tliee  that  thou 
wast  naked  ?  hast  thou  eaten  of  the  tree  whereof  I  commanded 
that  thou  shouldest  not  eat  ?    And  the  man  said,   The  woman 
whom  Thou  gavest  to  be  with  me,  she  gave  me  of  the  tree,  and  I 
did  eat.     And  Jehovah   God  said  unto  the  woman,    Why  hast 
thou  done  this  ?    And  the  woman  said,  The  serpent  beguiled  me, 
and  I  did  eat.     The  signification  of  these  words  is  evident 
from  what  has  been  explained  before,  namely,  that  the  rational 


100  GENESIS  [N.  229 

of  man  suffered  itself  to  be  deceived  by  its  Own,  because  this 
was  dear  to  him  (that  is,  by  the  love  of  self),  so  that  he 
believed  nothing  but  what  he  could  see  and  feel.  Every  one 
can  see  that  Jehovah  God  did  not  speak  to  a  serpent,  and 
indeed  that  there  was  no  serpent,  neither  did  He  address  the 
sensuous  part  that  is  signified  by  the  "  serpent ;"  but  that  these 
words  involve  a  different  meaning,  namely,  that  they  perceived 
themselves  to  be  deluded  by  the  senses,  and  yet,  in  conse- 
quence of  self-love,  were  desirous  of  ascertaining  the  truth  of 
what  they  had  heard  concerning  the  Lord,  and  concerning 
faith  in  Him,  before  they  believed  it. 

230.  The  ruling  evil  of  this  posterity  was  the  love  of  self, 
without  their  having  at  the  same  time  so  much  of  the  love  of 
the  world  as  exists  at  the  present  day ;  for  they  dwelt  within 
their  own  households  and  families,  and  had  no  desire  to  ac- 
cumulate wealth. 

231.  The  evil  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  which  existed 
before  the  flood,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Ancient  Church  after 
the  flood,  and  also  that  of  the  Jewish  Church,  and  subsequently 
the  evil  of  the  new  church,  or  church  of  the  Gentiles,  after 
the  coming  of  the  Lord,  and  also  that  of  the  church  of  the 
present  day,  was  and  is  that  they  do  not  believe  the  Lord  or 
the  Word,  but  themselves  and  their  own  senses.     Hence  there 
is  no  faith,  and  where  there  is  no  faith  there  is  no  love  of  the 
neighbor,  consequently  all  is  false  and  evil. 

232.  At  this  day  however  it  is  much  worse  than  in  former 
times,  because  men  can  now  confirm  the  incredulity  of   the 
senses  by  memory-knowledges    (scientifica)   unknown   to   the 
ancients,  and  this  has  given  birth  to  an  indescribable  degree 
of  darkness.     If  men  knew  how  great  is  the  darkness  from 
this  cause  they  would  be  astounded. 

233.  To  explore  the  mysteries  of  faith  by  means  of  mem- 
ory-knowledges (scientifica)  is  as  impossible  as  it  is  for  a  camel 
to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  or  for  a  rib  to  govern  the 
finest  fibrils  of  the  chest  and  of   the  heart.     So  gross,  yea, 
much  more  so,  is  that  which  pertains  to  our  senses  and  mem- 
ory-knowledge (sensuale  et  scientificum)  relatively  to  what  is 
spiritual  and  celestial.     He  who  would  investigate  the  hidden 
things  of    nature,  which  are  innumerable,  discovers  scarcely 


N.  233]  CHAPTER  III.  VERS.   11-13  101 

one,  and  while  investigating  them  falls  into  errors,  as  is  well 
known.  How  much  more  likely  is  this  to  be  the  case  while 
investigating  the  hidden  truths  of  spiritual  and  celestial  life, 
where  myriads  of  mysteries  exist  for  one  that  is  invisible  in 
nature !  [2]  As  an  illustration  take  this  single  example :  Of 
himself  man  cannot  but  do  what  is  evil,  and  turn  away  from 
the  Lord.  Yet  man  does  not  do  these  things,  but  the  evil 
spirits  who  are  with  him.  Nor  do  these  evil  spirits  do  them, 
but  the  evil  itself  which  they  have  made  their  own.  Never- 
theless man  does  evil  and  turns  himself  away  from  the  Lord, 
and  is  in  fault ;  and  yet  he  lives  only  from  the  Lord.  So  on 
the  other  hand,  of  himself  man  cannot  possibly  do  what  is 
good,  and  turn  to  the  Lord,  but  this  is  done  by  the  angels.  Nor 
can  the  angels  do  it,  but  the  Lord  alone.  And  yet  man  is  able  as 
of  himself  to  do  what  is  good,  and  to  turn  himself  to  the  Lord. 
These  facts  can  never  be  apprehended  by  our  senses,  memory- 
knowledge,  and  philosophy,  but  if  these  are  consulted  will  be 
denied  in  spite  of  their  truth.  And  it  is  the  same  all  through. 
[3]  From  what  has  been  said  it  is  evident  that  those  who  con- 
sult sensuous  things  and  memory-knowledges  (sensualia  et  sci- 
entifica)  in  matters  of  belief,  plunge  themselves  not  only  into 
doubt,  but  also  into  denial,  that  is,  into  thick  darkness,  and  con- 
sequently into  all  cupidities.  For  as  they  believe  what  is  false, 
they  also  do  what  is  false.  And  as  they  believe  that  what  is 
spiritual  and  celestial  has  no  existence,  so  they  believe  that 
there  is  nothing  else  but  what  is  of  the  body  and  the  world. 
And  so  they  love  all  that  belongs  to  self  and  the  world,  and 
in  this  way  do  cupidities  and  evils  spring  from  what  is  false. 


14.  And  Jehovah  God  said  unto  the  serpent,  Because  thou 
hast  done  this,  thou  art  cursed  above  every  beast,  and  above 
every  wild  animal  of  the  field ;  upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go, 
and  dust  shalt  thou  eat  all  the  days  of  thy  life. 

15.  And  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman, 
and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed ;  He  shall  trample  upon 
thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  His  heel. 


102  GENESIS  [N.  234 

16.  And  unto  the  woman  He  said,  I  will  greatly  multiply 
thy  sorrow  and  thy  conception ;  in  sorrow  thou  shalt  bring 
forth  sons,  and  thine  obedience  shall  be  to  thy  man  (vir),  and 
he  shall  rule  over  thee. 

17.  And  unto  the  man  He  said,  Because  thou  hast  heark- 
ened unto  the  voice  of  thy  wife,  and  hast  eaten  of  the  tree  of 
which  I  commanded  thee,  saying,  Thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it ; 
cursed  is  the  ground  for  thy  sake ;  in  great  sorrow  shalt  thou 
eat  of  it  all  the  days  of  thy  life. 

18.  And  the  thorn  and  the  thistle  shall  it  bring  forth  unto 
thee,  and  thou  shalt  eat  the  herb  of  the  field. 

19.  In  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread,  till  thou 
return  unto  the  ground ;  for  out  of  it  wast  thou  taken ;  for 
dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return. 


THE   CONTENTS. 

234.  The  subsequent  state  of  the  church  down  to  the  flood 
is  here  described ;  and  as  at  that  time  the  church  utterly  de- 
stroyed itself,  it  is  foretold  that  the  Lord  would  come  into  the 
world  and  save  the  human  race. 

235.  Being  unwilling  to  believe  anything  that  could  not  be 
apprehended  by  the  senses,  the  sensuous  part  which  is  the 
"serpent,"  cursed  itself,  and  became  infernal  (verse  14). 

236.  Therefore  to  prevent  all  mankind  from  rushing  into 
hell,  the  Lord  promised  that  He  would  come  into  the  world 
(verse  15). 

237.  The  church  is  further  described  by  the  "  woman,"  which 
so  loved  self  or  the  Own  as  to  be  no  longer  capable  of  appre- 
hending truth,  although  a  rational  was  given  them  that  should 
"  rule"  (verse  16.) 

238.  The  quality  of  the  rational  is  then  described,  in  that  it 
consented,  and  thus  cursed  itself,  and  became  infernal,  so  that 
reason  no  longer  remained,  but  ratiocination  (verse  17). 

239.  The  curse  and  vastation  are  described,  and  also  their 
ferine  nature  (verse  18). 


N.  240]  CONTENTS  103 

240.  Next,  their  aversion  to  everything  of  faith  and  love ; 
and  that  thus  from  being  man  they  became  not  men  (verse  19). 


THE  INTEBNAL   SENSE. 

241.  The  most  ancient  people,  being  celestial  men,  were  so 
constituted  that  every  object  they  beheld  in  the  world  or  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth,  they  indeed  saw,  but  they  thought  about 
the  heavenly  and  Divine  things  the  objects  signified  or  repre- 
sented.    Their  sight  was  merely  an  instrumental  agency,  and 
so  consequently  was  their  speech.     Any  one  may  know  how 
this  was  from  his  own  experience,  for  if  he  attends  closely  to 
the  meaning  of  a  speaker's  words,  he  does   indeed  hear  the 
words,  but  is  as  if  he  did  not  hear  them,  taking  in  only  the 
sense ;  and  one  who  thinks  more  deeply  does  not  attend  even 
to  the  sense  of  the  words,  but  to  a  more  universal  sense.    But 
the  posterities  that  are  here  treated  of  were  not  like  their 
fathers,  for  when  they  beheld  the  objects  in  the  world  and  011 
the  face  of  the  earth,  as  they  loved  them,  their  minds  cleaved  to 
them,  and  they  thought  about  them,  and  from  them  about  things 
heavenly  and  Divine.     Thus  with  them  what  is  sensuous  began 
to  be  the  principal,  and  not  as  with  their  fathers  the  instru- 
mental.   And  when  that  which  is  of  the  world  and  of  the  earth 
becomes  the  principal,  then  men  reason  from  this  about  the 
things  of  heaven,  and  so  blind  themselves.     How  this  is  may 
also  be  known  by  any  one  from  his  own  experience  ;  for  he  who 
attends  to  the  words  of  a  speaker,  and  not  to  the  sense  of  the 
words,  takes  in  but  little  of  the  sense,  and  still  less  of  the  uni- 
versal import  of  the  sense,  and  sometimes  judges  of  all  that 
a  man  says  from  a  single  word,  or  even  from  a  grammatical 
peculiarity. 

242.  Verse  14.  And  Jehovah  God  said  unto  the  serpent,  Be- 
cause thou  hast  done  this,  thou  art  cursed  above  every  beast,  and 
abfxie  every  ivild  animal  of  the  field  ;  upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou 
(jo,  and  dust  shalt  thou  eat  all  the  days  of  thy  life.     By  "  Je- 
hovah God  said  unto  the  serpent/'  is  signified  that  they  per- 


104  GENESIS  [N.  242 

ceived  their  sensuous  part  to  be  the  cause  [of  their  fall]. 
"  The  serpent  cursed  above  every  beast  and  above  every  wild 
animal  of  the  field,"  signifies  that  their  sensuous  part  averted 
itself  from  that  which  is  heavenly,  and  turned  itself  to  that 
which  is  of  the  body,  and  thus  cursed  itself ;  the  "  beast,"  and 
the  "  wild  animal  of  the  field,"  here  signify  affections,  as  be- 
fore. The  "  serpent  going  upon  its  belly,"  signifies  that  their 
sensuous  part  could  no  longer  look  upward  to  the  things 
of  heaven,  but  only  downward,  to  those  of  the  body  and  the 
earth.  Its  "  eating  dust  all  the  days  of  its  life,"  signifies  that 
their  sensuous  part  became  such  that  it  could  not  live  from 
anything  but  that  which  is  of  the  body  and  the  earth,  that 
is  to  say,  it  became  infernal. 

243.  In  the  most  ancient  celestial  men  the  sensuous  things 
of  the  body  were  of  such  a  character  as  to  be  compliant  and 
subservient  to  their  internal  man,  and  beyond  this  they  did  not 
care  for  them.     But  after  they  had  begun  to  love  themselves, 
they  set  the  things  of  sense  before  the  internal  man,  and  there- 
fore those  things  were  separated,  became  corporeal,  and  so 
were  condemned. 

244.  Having  before  shown  that  by  "  Jehovah  God  speaking 
to  the  serpent"  is  signified  their  perceiving  the  sensuous  part 
to  be  the  cause  of  their  fall,  no  more  need  be  said  in  re- 
gard to  these  words. 

245.  That  "He  said  to  the  serpent,  Thou  art  cursed  above 
every  beast,  and  above  every  wild  animal  of  .the  field,"  signifies 
that   the    sensuous   part   averted   itself   from   that  which  is 
heavenly,  turned  itself  to  that  which  is  of  the  body,  and  thus 
cursed  itself,  may  be  clearly  shown  from  the  internal  sense  of 
the  Word.     Jehovah  God  or  the  Lord  never  curses  any  one. 
He  is  never  angry  with  any  one,  never  leads  any  one  into  temp- 
tation, never  punishes  any  one,  and  still  less  does  He  curse  any 
one.     All  this  is  done  by  the  infernal  crew,  for  such  things  can 
never  proceed  from  the  Fountain  of  mercy,  peace,  and  goodness. 
The  reason  of  its  being  said,  both  here  and  in  other  parts  of 
the  Word,  that  Jehovah  God  not  only  turns  away  His  face,  is 
angry,  punishes,  and  tempts,  but  also  kills  and  even  curses,  is 
that  men  may  believe  that  the  Lord  governs  and  disposes  all 
and  everything  in  the  universe,  even  evil  itself,  punishments, 


N.  246]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.   14  105 

and  temptations ;  and  when  they  have  received  this  most  gen- 
eral idea,  may  afterwards  learn  how  He  governs  and  disposes 
all  things  by  turning  the  evil  of  punishment  and  of  temptation 
into  good.  In  teaching  and  learning  the  Word,  the  most  gen- 
eral truths  must  come  first ;  and  therefore  the  literal  sense  is 
full  of  such  things. 

246.  That  the  "  beast  and  the  wild  animal  of  the  field"  sig- 
nify affections,  is  evident  from  what  was  previously  said  con- 
cerning them  (n.  45  and  46),  to  which  it  is  permitted  to  add 
the  following  passage  from  David : — 

Thou,  0  God,  dost  send  the  rain  of  Thy  kindnesses ;  Thou  confirmest 
Thy  laboring  inheritance  ;  Thy  wild  animal  shall  dwell  therein  (Ps.  Ixviii. 
9,  10), 

where  also  "  wild  animal"  denotes  the  affection  of  good,  because 
it  is  said  that  it  shall  "  dwell  in  the  inheritance  of  God."  The 
reason  why  here,  and  also  in  chapter  ii.  19,  20,  the  "  beast  and 
the  wild  animal  of  the  field"  are  mentioned,  while  in  chapter  i. 
24,  25,  the  "  beast  and  the  wild  animal  of  the  earth"  are  named, 
is  that  the  present  passage  treats  of  the  church  or  regenerated 
man,  whereas  the  first  chapter  related  to  what  was  as  yet  not 
a  church,  or  to  man  about  to  become  regenerate ;  for  the  word 
"  field"  is  applied  to  the  church,  or  to  the  regenerate. 

247.  That  the  "serpent  going  on  his  belly"  denotes  that 
their  sensuous  part  could  no  longer  look  upward  to  the  things 
of  heaven,  but  only  downward  to  those  of  the  body  and  the 
earth,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  in  ancient  times  by  the 
"  belly"  such  things  are  signified  as  are  nearest  to  the  earth ; 
by  the  "  chest"  such  as  are  above  the  earth ;  and  by  the  "  head," 
what   is   highest.      It   is   here  said  that    the  sensuous  part 
which  in  itself  is  the  lowest  part  of  man's  nature,  "  went  upon 
its  belly,"  because  it  turned  to  what  is  earthly.    The  depression 
of  the  belly  even  to  the  earth,  and  the  sprinkling  of  dust  on 
the  head,  had  a  similar  signification  in  the  Jewish  Church. 
Thus  we  read  in  David : — 

Wherefore  hidest  Thou  Thy  faces,  and  forgettest  our  misery  and  our 
oppression  ?  For  our  soul  is  bowed  down  to  the  dust,  and  our  belly 
cleaveth  to  the  earth.  Arise,  a  help  for  us,  and  redeem  us  for  Thy  mercy's 
sake  (Ps.  xliv.  24-26), 


106  GENESIS  [N.  247 

where  also  it  is  evident  that  when  man  averts  himself  from  the 
face  of  Jehovah,  he  "  cleaves  by  his  belly  to  the  dust  and  to 
the  earth."  In  Jonah  likewise,  by  the  "  belly"  of  the  great  fish, 
into  which  he  was  cast,  are  signified  the  lower  parts  of  the 
earth,  as  is  evident  from  his  prophecy : — 

Out  of  the  belly  of  hell  cried  I,  and  Thou  heardestmy  voice  (Jonah  ii.  2), 

where  "  hell"  denotes  the  lower  earth. 

248.  And   therefore   when   man   had    regard   to  heavenly 
things,  he  was  said  to  "  walk  erect,"  and  to  "  look  upward,"  or 
"  forward,"  which  means  the  same ;  but  when  he  had  regard  to 
corporeal  and  earthly  things,  he  was  said  to  be  "  bowed  to  the 
earth,"    and   to    "look   downward"  or    "backward."      As    in 
Leviticus : — 

I  am  Jehovah  your  God,  who  brought  you  forth  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  that  ye  should  not  be  their  bondmen  ;  and  I  have  broken  the 
bonds  of  your  yoke,  and  made  you  to  go  erect  (xxvi.  13), 

In  Micah : — 

Ye  shall  not  thence  remove  your  necks,  neither  shall  ye  go  erect  (ii.  3). 

In  Jeremiah : — 

Jerusalem  hath  sinned  a  sin,  therefore  they  despise  her,  because  they 
have  seen  her  nakedness  ;  yea,  she  groaned  and  hath  turned  backward. 
From  on  high  hath  He  sent  fire  into  my  bones,  and  hath  made  me  to 
return  backward  ;  He  hath  made  me  desolate  (Lam.  i.  8,  13). 

And  in  Isaiah  : — 

Jehovah  thy  Redeemer,  that  turneth  wise  men  backward,  and  maketh 
foolish  their  knowledge  (xliv.  24,  25). 

249.  That  to  "  eat  dust  all  the  days  of  its  life"  signifies  that 
their  sensuous  part  became  such  that  it  could  not  live  from 
anything  except  that  which  is  of   the  body  and  the  earth, 
that  is  to  say,  that  it  became  infernal,  is  evident  also  from 
the  signification  of  "  dust"  in  the  Word ;  as  in  Micah  : — 

Feed  thy  people  as  in  the  days  of  eternity.  The  nations  shall  see  and 
shall  blush  at  all  their  might ;  they  shall  lick  the  dust  like  a  serpent,  they 
shall  be  shaken  out  of  their  holds  like  creeping  things  (serpentes)  of  the 
earth  (vii.  14,  16,  17). 

The  "  days  of  eternity,"  mean  the  Most  Ancient  Church ;  the 
"nations,"  those  who  trust  in  their  Own,  of  whom  it  is  predi- 


N.  249]  CHAPTER   III.   VER.   14  107 

cated  that  "they  shall  lick  the  dust  like  a  serpent."  In 
David : — 

Barbarians  shall  bow  themselves  before  God,  and  His  enemies  shall 
lick  the  dust  (Ps.  Ixxii.  9). 

"  Barbarians"  and  "  enemies"  are  those  who  regard  only  earthly 
and  worldly  things.     In  Isaiah  : — 
Dust  shall  be  the  serpent's  bread  (Ixv.  26). 

As  "  dust"  signifies  those  who  do  not  regard  spiritual  and  celes- 
tial things,  but  only  what  is  corporeal  and  earthly,  therefore 
the  Lord  enjoined  His  disciples  that  if  the  city  or  house  into 
which  they  entered  was  not  worthy,  they  should  "  shake  off  the 
dust  of  their  feet"  (Matt.  x.  14).  (That  "  dust"  signifies  what 
is  condemned  and  infernal,  will  be  further  shown  at  verse  19.) 

250.  Verse  15.  And  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the 
woman,  and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed ;  He  shall  trample 
upon  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  His  heel.     Every  one  is 
aware  that  this  is  the  first  prophecy  of  the  Lord's  advent  into 
the  world;  it  appears  indeed  clearly  from  the  words  them- 
selves, and  therefore  from  them  and  from  the  prophets  even 
the  Jews  knew  that  a  Messiah  was  to  come.     Hitherto  however 
no  one  has  understood  what  is  specifically  meant  by  the  "  ser- 
pent," the  "  woman,"  the  "  serpent's  seed,"  the  "  woman's  seed," 
the  "  head  of  the  serpent  which  was  to  be  trodden  upon,"  and 
the  "  heel  which  the  serpent  should  bruise."     They  must  there- 
fore be  explained.     By  the  "  serpent"  is  here  meant  all  evil  in 
general,  and  specifically  the  love  of  self ;  by  the  "  woman"  is 
meant  the  church ;  by  the  "  seed  of  the  serpent,"  all  infidelity  ; 
by  the  "  seed  of  the  woman,"  faith  in  the  Lord ;  by  "  He,"  the 
Lord  Himself ;  by  the  "  head  of  the  serpent,"  the  dominion  of 
evil  in  general,  and  specifically  that  of  the  love  of  self ;  by  to 
"  trample  upon,"  depression,  so  that  it  should  "  go  upon  the 
belly  and  eat  dust ;"  and  by  the  "  heel,"  the  lowest  natural  (as 
the  corporeal),  which  the  serpent  should  "  bruise." 

251.  The  reason  why  the  "  serpent"  means  all  evil  in  general, 
and  specifically  the  love  of  self,  is  that  all  evil  has  had  its  rise 
from  that   sensuous   part   of  the   mind,  and  also  from   that 
memory-knowledge  (scientifico),  which  at  first  were  signified  by 
the   "  serpent ;"  and  therefore  it  here  denotes  evil  of  every 


108  GENESIS  [N.  251 

kind,  and  specifically  the  love  of  self,  or  hatred  against  the 
neighbor  and  the  Lord,  which  is  the  same  thing.  As  this 
evil  or  hatred  was  various,  consisting  of  numerous  genera  and 
still  more  numerous  species,  it  is  described  in  the  Word  by 
various  kinds  of  serpents,  as  "snakes,"  "cockatrices,"  "asps," 
"adders,"  "fiery  serpents,"  "serpents  that  fly"  and  "that 
creep,"  and  "  vipers,"  according  to  the  differences  of  the 
poison,  which  is  hatred.  Thus  we  read  in  Isaiah : — 

Rejoice  not  thou,  whole  Philistia,  because  the  rod  which  smiteth  thee 
is  broken,  for  out  of  the  serpent's  root  shall  go  forth  a  cockatrice,  and 
his  fruit  shall  be  a  flying  fire-serpent  (xiv.  29). 

The  "  serpent's  root"  denotes  that  part  of  the  mind,  or  that  prin- 
ciple, which  is  connected  with  the  senses  and  with  memory- 
knowledge  (est  sensuale  et  scientificum)  ;  the  "  cockatrice"  de- 
notes evil  originating  in  the  falsity  thence  derived;  and  the 
"flying  fire-serpent,"  the  cupidity  that  comes  from  the  love 
of  self.  By  the  same  Prophet  also  similar  things  are  else- 
where thus  described : — 

They  hatch  cockatrice's  eggs,  and  weave  the  spider's  web  ;  he  that 
eateth  of  their  eggs  dieth,  and  when  it  is  crushed  there  cometh  out  a 
viper  (lix.  5). 

The  serpent  described  here  in  Genesis  is  called  in  the  Revela- 
tion the  "  great  and  red  dragon,"  and  the  "  old  serpent,"  and 
also  the  "devil  and  satan,"  that  "deceives  the  whole  world" 
(xii.  3,  9 ;  xx.  2),  where,  and  also  in  other  places,  by  the  "  devil" 
is  not  meant  any  particular  devil  who  is  prince  over  the  others, 
but  the  whole  crew  of  evil  spirits,  and  evil  itself. 

252.  That  by  the  "woman"  is  meant  the  church,  is  evident 
from  what  was  said  above  (n.  155)  concerning  the  heavenly 
marriage.  Such  is  the  nature  of  the  heavenly  marriage,  that 
heaven,  and  consequently  the  church,  is  united  to  the  Lord  by 
its  Own,  insomuch  that  these  are  in  their  Own,  for  without 
their  Own  there  can  be  no  union.  When  the  Lord  in  mercy 
insinuates  innocence,  peace,  and  good  into  this  Own,  it  still 
retains  its  identity,  but  becomes  heavenly  and  most  happy  (as 
may  be  seen  at  n.  164).  The  quality  of  a  heavenly  and  angelic 
Own  from  the  Lord,  and  the  quality  of  an  Own,  which,  because 
from  self,  is  infernal  and  diabolical,  cannot  be  told.  The  dif- 
ference is  like  that  between  heaven  and  hell. 


N.  253]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  15  109 

253.  It  is  by  virtue  of  a  heavenly  and  angelic  Own  that 
the  church  is  called  a  "  woman,"  and  also  a  "  wife,"  a  "  bride," 
a  "  virgin,"  and  a  "  daughter."     She  is  called  a  "  woman"  in 
the  Revelation : — 

A  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and 
upon  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars.  And  the  dragon  persecuted  the 
woman  who  brought  forth  the  man  child  (xii.  1,  also  4  to  13). 

In  this  passage  by  a  "woman"  is  meant  the  church;  by  the 
"  sun,"  love ;  by  the  "  moon,"  faith ;  by  "  stars,"  as  before,  the 
truths  of  faith,  all  of  which  evil  spirits  hate,  and  persecute  to 
the  utmost.  The  church  is  called  a  "  woman,"  and  also  a 
"  wife,"  in  Isaiah : — 

Thy  Maker  is  thy  Husband,  Jehovah  of  Annies  is  His  name,  and  thy 
Redeemer  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  the  God  of  the  whole  earth  is  He 
called ;  for  as  a  woman  forsaken  and  afflicted  in  spirit  hath  Jehovah 
called  thee,  and  as  a  wife  of  youth  (adolescentiarum)  (liv.  5,  6), 

where  the  "Maker"  is  called  also  the  "husband,"  because 
united  to  the  Own ;  and  a  "  woman  afflicted,"  and  a  "  wife  of 
youth,"  signify  specifically  the  Ancient  and  Most  Ancient 
Churches.  Likewise  in  Malachi: — 

Jehovah  hath  borne  witness  between  thee  and  the  wife  of  thy  youth 
(adolescentiarum)  (ii.  14). 

She  is  called  a  "  wife"  and  a  "  bride"  in  the  Revelation : — 

I  saw  the  holy  city  New  Jerusalem  coming  down  from  God  out  of 
heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband :  come  hither,  I 
will  show  thee  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife  (xxi.  2,  9). 

The  church  is  called  a  "  virgin"  and  a  "  daughter"  throughout 
the  Prophets. 

254.  That  by  the  "seed  of  the  serpent"  is  meant  all  infi 
delity,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  a  "  serpent,"  as  being 
all  evil ;  "  seed"  is  that  which  produces  and  is  produced,  or  that 
which  begets  and  is  begotten ;  and  as  the  church  is  here  spoken 
of,  this  is  infidelity.     In  Isaiah,  in  reference  to  the  Jewish 
Church  in  its  perverted  state,  it  is  called  a  "  seed  of  evil  doers," 
a  "  seed  of  adultery,"  a  "  seed  of  falsehood  :"- 

Woe  to  the  sinful  nation,  a  people  laden  with  iniquity,  a  seed  of  evil 
doers,  sons  that  are  destroyers  ;  they  have  forsaken  Jehovah,  they  have 
provoked  the  Hoiy  One  of  Israel,  they  have  estranged  themselves  back- 
ward (i  4). 


110  GENESIS  [N.  254 

Again : — 

Draw  near  hither,  ye  sons  of  the  sorceress,  the  seed  of  the  adulterer. 
Are  ye  not  children  of  transgression,  a  seed  of  falsehood  ?  (Ivii.  3,  4). 

And  again,  speaking  of  the  "  serpent"  or  "  dragon,"  who  is 
there  called  Lucifer : — 

Thou  art  cast  out  of  thy  sepulchre  like  an  abominable  shoot,  because 
thou  hast  corrupted  thy  land,  thou  hast  slain  thy  people  ;  the  seed  of  evil 
doers  shall  not  be  called  to  eternity  (xiv.  19,  20). 

255.  That  the  "seed  of  the  woman"  signifies  faith  in  the 
Lord,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  woman"  as  being  the 
church,  whose  "  seed"  is  nothing  but  faith,  for  it  is  from  faith 
in  the  Lord  that  the  church  is  called  the  church.    In  Malachi, 
faith  is  called  the  "  seed  of  God :" — 

Jehovah  hath  witnessed  between  thee  and  the  wife  of  thy  youth  (ado- 
lescentiarum) ;  and  not  one  hath  done  so  who  had  a  residue  of  the  spirit ; 
and  wherefore  one,  seeking  the  seed  of  God  ?  but  observe  ye  in  your 
spirit,  lest  he  deal  treacherously  against  the  wife  of  thy  youth  (ii.  14,  15). 

In  this  passage  the  "  wife  of  youth"  is  the  Ancient  and  Most 
Ancient  Churches,  of  whose  "  seed"  (or  faith)  the  prophet 
speaks.  In  Isaiah  also,  in  reference  to  the  church : — 

I  will  pour  waters  upon  the  thirsty,  and  floods  upon  the  dry  ;  I  will 
pour  My  spirit  upon  thy  seed,  and  My  blessing  upon  thine  offspring 
(xliv.  3). 

In  the  Revelation  : — 

The  dragon  was  wroth  with  the  woman,  and  went  to  make  war  with 
the  remnant  of  her  seed,  who  were  keeping  the  commandments  of  God, 
and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ  (xii.  17). 

And  in  David: — 

I  have  made  a  covenant  with  Mine  elect,  I  have  sworn  unto  David  My 
servant,  even  to  eternity  will  I  establish  thy  seed,  and  his  seed  will  I 
make  to  endure  forever,  and  his  throne  as  the  days  of  the  heavens  ;  his 
seed  shall  endure  to  eternity,  and  his  throne  as  the  sun  before  me 
(Ps.  Ixxxix.  3,  4,  29,  36), 

where  by  "  David"  is  meant  the  Lord ;  by  "  throne,"  His  king- 
dom ;  by  the  "  sun,"  love ;  and  by  "  seed,"  faith. 

256.  Not  only  is  faith,  but  also  the  Lord  Himself  is  called 
the  "  seed  of  the  woman,"  both  because  He  alone  gives  faith, 
and  thus  is  faith,  and  because  He  was  pleased  to  be  born,  and 


N.  256]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  15  111 

that  into  such  a  church  as  had  altogether  fallen  into  an  in- 
fernal and  diabolical  Own  through  the  love  of  self  and  of  the 
world,  in  order  that  by  His  Divine  power  He  might  unite  the 
Divine  celestial  Own  with  the  human  Own  in  His  human 
essence,  so  that  in  Him  they  might  be  a  one ;  and  unless  this 
union  had  been  effected,  the  whole  world  must  have  utterly 
perished.  Because  the  Lord  is  thus  the  seed  of  the  woman,  it 
is  not  said  "  it,"  but  "  He." 

257.  That  by  the  "head  of  the  serpent"  is  meant  the  do- 
minion of  evil  in  general,  and  specifically  of  the  love  of  self,  is 
evident  from  its  nature,  which  is  so  direful  as  not  only  to  seek 
dominion,  but  even  dominion  over  all  things  upon  earth  ;  nor 
does  it  rest  satisfied  with  this,  but  aspires  even  to  rule  over 
everything  in  heaven,  and  then,  not  content  with  this,  over  the 
Lord  himself,  and  even  then  it  is  not  satisfied.  This  is  latent 
in  every  spark  of  the  love  of  self.  If  it  were  indulged,  and 
freed  from  restraint,  we  should  perceive  that  it  would  at  once 
burst  forth  and  would  grow  even  to  that  aspiring  height. 
Hence  it  is  evident  how  the  "  serpent,"  or  the  evil  of  the  love 
of  self,  desires  to  exercise  dominion,  and  how  much  it  hates  all 
those  who  refuse  its  sway.  This  is  that  "  head  of  the 
serpent"  which  exalts  itself,  and  which  the  Lord  "  tramples 
down,"  even  to  the  earth,  that  it  may  "  go  upon  its  belly,  and 
eat  dust,"  as  stated  in  the  verse  immediately  preceding.  Thus 
also  is  described  the  "  serpent"  or  "  dragon"  called  "  Lucifer" 
in  Isaiah : — 

0  Lucifer,  them  hast  said  in  thy  heart,  I  will  ascend  the  heavens,  I 
will  exalt  my  throne  above  the  stars  of  God,  and  I  will  sit  upon  the 
mount  of  the  congregation,  in  the  sides  of  the  north,  I  will  ascend  above 
the  heights  of  the  cloud,  I  will  be  made  equal  to  the  Most  High ;  yet 
thou  shall  be  brought  down  to  hell,  to  the  sides  of  the  pit  (xiv.  12-15). 

The  "  serpent"  or  "  dragon"  is  also  described  in  the  Revela- 
tion in  regard  to  the  way  in  which  he  exalts  his  head : — 

A  great  red  dragon,  having  seven  heads,  and  ten  horns,  and  many  dia- 
dems upon  his  heads  ;  but  he  was  cast  into  the  earth  (xii.  3,  9). 

In  David : — 

The  saying  of  Jehovah  to  my  Lord,  Sit  Thou  at  My  right  hand,  until 
I  make  Thine  enemies  Thy  footstool :  Jehovah  shall  send  the  rod  of  thy 
strength  out  of  Zion,  He  shall  judge  the  nations,  He  hath  filled  with  dead 


112  GENESIS  [N.  257 

bodies,  He  hath  bruised  the  head  over  much  land  ;  He  shall  drink  of  the 
brook  in  the  way,  therefore  shall  He  lift  up  the  head  (Ps.  ex.  1,  2,  6,  7), 

258.  That  by  "  trampling  on"  or  "  bruising,"  is  meant  de- 
pression, so  as  to  compel  it  to  "  go  on  the  belly  and  eat  the 
dust,"  is  now  evident  from  this  and  the  preceding  verses.     So 
likewise  in  Isaiah  : — 

Jehovah  hath  cast  down  them  that  dwell  on  high ;  the  exalted  city 
He  will  humble  it ;  He  will  humble  it  even  to  the  earth  ;  He  will  pros- 
trate it  even  to  the  dust ;  the  foot  shall  tread  it  down  (xxvi.  4-6). 

Again : — 

He  shall  cast  down  to  the  earth  with  the  hand  ;  they  shall  be  trampled 
on  by  feet — a  crown  of  pride  (xxviii.  2,  3). 

259.  That  by  the  "heel"  is  meant  the  lowest  natural  or 
corporeal  cannot  be  known  unless  the  way  in  which  the  most 
ancient  people  considered  the  various  things  in  man  is  known. 
Tiiey  referred  his  celestial  and  spiritual  things  to  the  head  and 
face ;  what  comes  forth  from  these  (as  charity  and  mercy),  to 
the  chest ;  natural  things,  to  the  feet ;  lower  natural  things,  to 
the  soles  of  the  feet ;  and  the  lowest  natural  and  corporeal 
things,  to  the  heel ;  nor  did  they  merely  refer  them,  but  also 
so  called  them.     The  lowest  things  of  reason,  that  is,  memory- 
knowledges    (scientifica),   were    also   meant    by   what   Jacob 
prophesied  concerning  Dan  : — 

Dan  shall  be  a  serpent  upon  the  way,  an  adder  upon  the  path,  biting 
the  horse's  heels,  and  his  rider  falls  backward  (Gen.  xlix.  17). 

Also  in  David: — 

The  iniquity  of  my  heels  hath  compassed  me  about  (Ps.  xlix.  5). 

In  like  manner  by  what  is  related  of  Jacob,  when  he  came 
forth  from  the  womb, 

That  his  hand  laid  hold  of  Esau's  heel,  whence  he  was  called  Jacob 
(Gen.  xxv.  26), 

for  the  name  "Jacob"  comes  from  the  "heel,"  because  the 
Jewish  Church,  signified  by  "  Jacob,"  injured  the  heel.  A  ser- 
pent can  injure  only  the  lowest  natural  things,  but  unless  it  is  a 
species  of  viper,  not  the  interior  natural  things  in  man,  still 
less  his  spiritual  things,  and  least  of  all  his  celestial  things, 
which  the  Lord  preserves  and  stores  up  in  mar.  without  his 
knowledge.  What  are  thus  stored  up  by  the  Lord  are  called 


N.  259]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.   15 

in  the  Word  "  remains."  The  mode  in  which  the  serpent  de- 
stroyed those  lowest  natural  things  in  the  people  before  the 
flood,  by  the  sensuous  principle  and  the  love  of  self;  and 
among  the  Jews,  by  sensuous  things,  traditions,  and  trifles, 
and  by  the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world ;  and  how  at  this  day 
he  has  destroyed  and  continues  to  destroy  them  by  the  things 
of  sense,  of  memory-knowledge,  and  of  philosophy,  and  at  the 
same  time  by  the  same  loves,  shall  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy 
be  told  hereafter. 

260.  From  what  has  been  said  it  is  evident  that  it  was  re- 
vealed to  the  church  of  that  time  that  the  Lord  would  come 
into  the  world  to  save  them. 

261.  Verse  16.  And  unto  the  woman  He  said,  I  will  greatly 
multiply  thy  sorrow  and  thy  conception  ;  in  sorrow  thou  shalt 
bring  forth  sons,  and  thine  obedience  shall  be  to  thy  man  (vir), 
and  he  shall  rule  over  thee.    By  the  "  woman"  is  now  signified 
the  church  as  to  proprium,  which  it  loved ;  by  "  greatly  multi- 
plying her  sorrow,"  is  signified  combat,  and  the  anxiety  it  oc- 
casions ;  by  "  conception,"  every  thought ;  by  the  "  sons  whom 
she  would  bring  forth  in  sorrow,"  the  truths  which  she  would 
thus  produce ;  by  "  man,"  here  as  before,  the  rational  which  it 
will  obey,  and  which  will  rule. 

262.  That  the  church  is  signified  by  the  "  woman,"  has  been 
previously  shown,  but  here  the  church  perverted  by  the  Own 
which  was  itself  formerly  signified  by  the  "  woman,"  because 
the  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  which  had  become 
perverted,  is  now  treated  of. 

263.  When  therefore  the  sensuous  part  averts    itself   or 
curses  itself,  the  consequence  is  that  evil  spirits  begin  to  fight 
powerfully,  and  the  attendant  angels  to  labor,  and  therefore 
this  combat  is  described  by  the  words,  "  I  will  greatly  multiply 
thy  sorrow,  in  relation  to  the  conception  and  birth  of  sons," 
that  is,  as  to  the  thoughts  and  productions  of  truth. 

264.  That  the  "  conception  and  birth  of  sons,"  in  the  Word, 
are  taken  in  a  spiritual  sense — "  conception"  for  the  thought 
and  device  of  the  heart,  and  "  sons"  for  truths,  is  evident  from 
Hosea  : — 

As  for  Ephraim,  their  glory  shall  fly  away  like  a  bird,  from  the  birth, 
and  from  the  womb,  and  from  the  conception  ;  though  they  shall  have 
VOL.  I.— 8 


114  GENESIS  [N.  264 

brought  up  their  sons,  yet  will  I  bereave  them,  that  they  be  not  man ; 
yea,  woe  also  to  them  when  I  depart  from  them  (ix.  11,  12), 

where  "  Ephraim"  signifies  the  intelligent,  or  the  understand- 
ing of  truth ;  and  "  sons,"  truths  themselves.  It  is  likewise 
said  elsewhere  concerning  Ephraim,  or  one  who  is  intelligent, 
who  has  become  foolish : — 

The  sorrows  of  one  in  travail  have  come  upon  him,  he  is  an  unwise 
son,  for  at  the  time  he  will  not  stand  in  the  breach  of  the  womb  of  song 
(xiii.  13). 

And  in  Isaiah : — 

Blush,  O  Zidon,  for  the  sea  hath  spoken,  the  fortress  of  the  sea,  say- 
ing, I  have  not  travailed,  nor  brought  forth,  nor  have  I  brought  up  young 
men,  nor  caused  girls  to  grow  up  ;  as  at  the  report  concerning  Egypt,  they 
shall  bring  forth  according  to  the  report  of  Tyre  (xxiii.  4,  5), 

where  "  Zidon"  means  those  who  have  been  in  the  knowledges 
of  faith,  but  have  destroyed  them  by  memory-knowledges  (sci- 
entifica),  and  so  have  become  barren.  [2]  Again  in  the  same 
prophet,  treating  of  regeneration,  and  where  likewise  the  truths 
of  faith  are  signified  by  "  sons  :" — 

Before  she  travailed  she  bringeth  forth;  and  before  her  pain  came, 
she  was  delivered  of  a  man  child ;  who  hath  heard  such  a  thing  ?  who 
hath  seen  such  things  ?  shall  the  earth  bring  forth  in  one  day  ?  and  shall 
I  not  cause  to  bring  forth  ?  saith  Jehovah  ;  shall  I  cause  to  bring  forth, 
and  close  up  ?  saith  thy  God  (Ixvi.  7-9). 

Goods  and  truths,  being  conceived  and  born  of  the  heavenly 
marriage,  are  therefore  called  "sons"  by  the  Lord  in  Mat- 
thew : — - 

He  that  soweth  the  good  seed  is  the  Son  of  man  ;  the  field  is  the  world  ; 
and  the  seed  are  the  sons  of  the  kingdom  (xiii.  37,  38). 

And  the  goods  and  truths  of  a  saving  faith  He  calls  "  sons  of 
Abraham"  (John  viii.  39) ;  for  "  seed"  (as  stated  n.  255)  denotes 
faith,  wherefore  "  sons,"  which  are  of  the  "  seed,"  are  the  goods 
and  truths  of  faith.  Hence  also  the  Lord,  as  being  Himself 
the  "  seed,"  called  Himself  the  "  Son  of  man,"  that  is,  the  faith 
of  the  church. 

265.  That  by  "man  (vir)"  is  signified  the  rational,  appears 
from  verse  6  of  this  chapter,  in  that  the  woman  gave  to  her 
man  with  her,  and  he  did  eat,  by  which  is  meant  his  consent ; 


N.  266]  CHAPTER   HI.  VER.  16  115 

and  the  same  is  also  evident  from  what  was  said  of  the  man  in 
n.  158,  where  by  him  is  meant  one  who  is  wise  and  intelligent. 
Here  however  "  man"  denotes  the  rational,  because  in  conse- 
quence of  the  destruction  of  wisdom  and  intelligence  by  eating 
of  the  tree  of  knowledge,  nothing  else  was  left,  for  the  rational 
is  imitative  of  intelligence,  being  as  it  were  its  semblance. 

266.  As  every  law  and  precept  comes  forth  from  what  is  ce- 
lestial and  spiritual,  as  from  its  true  beginning,  it  follows  that 
this  law  of  marriage  does  so,  which  requires  that  the  wife,  who 
acts  from  desire,  which  is  of  what  is  her  own,  rather  than 
from  reason,  like  the  man,  should  be  subject  to  his  prudence. 

267.  Verse  17.  And  unto  the  man  He  said,  Because  thou  hast 
hearkened  unto  the  voice  of  thy  wife,  and  hast  eaten  of  the  tree 
of  which  I  commanded  thee,  saying,  Thou  shalt  not  eat  of  it  ; 
cursed  is  the  ground  for  thy  sake,  in  great  sorrow  shalt  thou  eat 
of  it  all  the  days  of  thy  life.     By  the  "  man  hearkening  to  the 
voice  of  his  wife,"  is  signified  the  consent  of  the  man  (yir),  or 
rational,  by  which  it  also  averted  or  cursed  itself,  and  conse- 
quently the  whole  external  man,  denoted  by  "  cursed  is  the 
ground  for  thy  sake."     To  "  eat  thereof  in  sorrow,"  means  that 
the  future  state  of  his  life  would  be  miserable,  and  this  even 
to  the  end  of  that  church,  or  "  all  the  days  of  his  life." 

268.  That  the  "ground"  signifies  the  external  man,  is  evi- 
dent  from  what  was  previously  stated  concerning  "  earth," 
"  ground,"  and  "  field."    When  man  is  regenerate,  he  is  no  longer 
called  "  earth,"  but  "  ground,"  because  celestial  seed  has  been 
implanted  in  him ;  he  is  also  compared  to  "  ground"  and  is 
called  "  ground"  in  various  parts  of  the  Word.     The  seeds  of 
good  and  truth  are  implanted  in  the  external  man,  that  is,  in 
his  affection  and  memory,  and  not  in  the  internal  man,  because 
there  is  nothing  of  one's  Own  in  the  internal  man,  but  only  in 
the  external.     In  the  internal  man  are  goods  and  truths,  and 
when  these  no  longer  appear  to  be  present,  the  man  is  external 
or  corporeal ;  they  are  however  stored  up  in  the  internal  man 
by  the  Lord,  without  the  man's  knowledge,  as  they  do  not  come 
forth  except  when  the  external  man  as  it  were  dies,  as  is  usu- 
ally the  case  during  temptations,  misfortunes,  sicknesses,  and 
at  the  hour  of  death.     The  rational  belongs  also  to  the  external 
man  (n.  118),  and  is  in  itself  a  kind  of  medium  between  the  in- 


116  GENESIS  [N.  268 

ternal  man  and  the  external ;  for  the  internal  man,  through  the 
rational,  operates  on  the  corporeal  external.  But  when  the 
rational  consents,  it  separates  the  external  man  from  the  in- 
ternal, so  that  the  existence  of  the  internal  man  is  no  longer 
known,  nor  consequently  the  intelligence  and  wisdom  which 
are  of  the  internal. 

269.  That  Jehovah  God  (that  is,  the  Lord)  did  not  "  curse 
the  ground,"  or  the  external  man,  but  that  the  external  man 
averted  or  separated  itself  from  the  internal,  and  thus  cursed 
itself,  is  evident  from  what  was  previously  shown  (n.  245). 

270.  That  to  "  eat  of  the  ground  in  great  sorrow"  signifies 
a  miserable  state  of  life,  is  evident  from  what  precedes  and  fol- 
lows, not  to  mention  that  to  "  eat,"  in  the  internal  sense,  is  to 
live.     The  same  is  evident  also  from  the  fact  that  such  a  state 
of  life  ensues  when  evil  spirits  begin  to  fight,  and  the  attend- 
ant angels  to  labor.     This  state  of  life  becomes  more  miserable 
when  evil  spirits  begin  to  obtain  the  dominion ;  for  they  then 
govern  the  external  man,  and  the  angels  only  the  internal  man, 
of  which  so  little  remains  that  they  can  scarcely  take  anything 
thence  with  which  to  defend  the  man ;  hence  arise  misery  and 
anxiety.     Dead  men  are  seldom  sensible  of  such  misery  and 
anxiety,  because  they  are  no  longer  men,  although  they  think 
themselves  more  truly  so  than  others  ;  for  they  know  no  more 
than  the  brutes  of  what  is  spiritual  and  celestial,  and  what  is 
eternal  life,  and  like  them  they  look  downward  to  earthly  things, 
or  outward  to  worldly  ones  ;  they  favor  only  their  Own,  and  in- 
dulge their  inclinations  and  senses  with  the  entire  concurrence 
of  the  rational.     Being  dead,  they  sustain  no  spiritual  combat 
or  temptation,  and  were  they  exposed  to  it  their  life  would 
sink  under  its  weight,  and  they  would  thereby  curse  themselves 
still  more,  and  precipitate  themselves  still  more  deeply  into  in- 
fernal damnation  :  hence  they  are  spared  this  until  their  en- 
trance into  the  other  life,  where,  being  no  longer  in  danger  of 
dying  in  consequence  of  any  temptation  or  misery,  they  endure 
most  grievous  sufferings,  which  likewise  are  here  signified  by 
the  ground  being  cursed,  and  eating  of  it  in  great  sorrow. 

271.  That  "  all  the  days  of  thy  life"  signifies  the  end  of  the 
days  of  the  church,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  the  subject 
here  treated  of  is  not  an  individual  man,  but  the  church  and 


N.  271]  CHAPTER  HI.  VER.  17  HT 

its  state.  The  end  of  the  days  of  that  church  was  the  time  of 
the  flood. 

272.  Verse  18.  And  the  thorn  and  the  thistle  shall  it  bring 
forth  unto  thee,  and  thou  shalt  eat  the  herb  of  the  field.     By 
the  "thorn  and  the  thistle,"  are  meant  curse  and  vastation; 
and  by  "  thou  shalt  eat  the  herb  of  the  field,"  is  signified  that 
he  should  live  as  a  wild  animal.     Man  lives  like  a  wild  animal 
when  his  internal  man  is  so  separated  from  his  external  as 
to  operate  upon  it  only  in  a  most  general  manner,  for  man 
is  man  from  what  he  receives  through  his  internal  man  from 
the  Lord,  and  is  a  wild  animal  from  what  he  derives  from  the 
external  man,  which,  separated  from  the  internal,  is  in  itself 
no  other  than  a  wild  animal,  having  a  similar  nature,  desires, 
appetites,  phantasies,  and  sensations,  and  also  similar  organic 
forms.     That  nevertheless  he  is  able  to  reason,  and,  as  it  seems 
to  himself,  acutely,  he  has  from  the  spiritual  substance  by  which 
he  receives  the  influx  of  life  from  the  Lord,  which  is  however 
perverted  in  such  a  man,  and  becomes  the  life  of  evil,  which  is 
death.     Hence  he  is  called  a  dead  man. 

273.  That  the  "  thorn  and  the  thistle"  signify  curse  and  vas- 
tation, is  evident  from  harvest  and  fruit-tree  denoting  the  op- 
posites,  which  are  blessings  and  multiplications.     That  the 
"  thorn,"  the  "  thistle,"  the  "  brier,"  the  "  bramble,"  and  the 
"  nettle,"  have  such  a  signification,  is  evident  from  the  Word, 
as  in  Hosea  : — 

Lo,  they  are  gone  away  because  of  the  vastation  ;  Egypt  shall  gather 
them ;  Memphis  shall  bury  them  ;  their  desirable  things  of  silver,  the 
nettle  shall  inherit  them  ;  the  bramble  shall  be  in  their  tents  (ix.  6). 

Here  "  Egypt"  and  "  Memphis"  denote  such  as  seek  to  under- 
stand Divine  things  from  themselves  and  their  own  memory- 
knowledges.  In  the  same  Prophet : — 

The  lofty  places  of  Aven,  the  sin  of  Israel,  shall  be  destroyed  ;  the 
thorn  and  the  thistle  shall  come  up  upon  their  altars  (x.  8), 

where  the  "  lofty  places  of  Aven,"  signify  the  love  of  self  ;  and 
the  "  thorn  and  thistle  on  the  altars,"  profanation.  In  Isaiah : — 

Mourning  upon  the  paps  for  the  fields  of  desire,  for  the  fruitful  vine  ; 
upon  the  ground  of  My  people  shall  come  up  the  briery  thorn  (xxxii.  12, 
13). 


118  GENESIS  [N.  273 

And  in  Ezekiel : — 

There  shall  be  no  more  a  pricking  brier  unto  the  house  of  Israel,  nor 
a  painful  thorn  from  all  that  are  round  about  them  (xxviii.  24). 

274.  That  to  "  eat  the  herb  of  the  field"  (that  is,  wild  food) 
denotes  to  live  like  a  wild  animal,  is  evident  from  what  is  said 
of  Nebuchadnezzar  in  Daniel  :— 

They  shall  drive  thee  from  man,  and  thy  dwelling  shall  be  with  the 
beast  of  the  field  ;  they  shall  make  thee  to  eat  grass  as  oxen,  and  seven 
times  shall  pass  over  thee  (iv.  25). 

And  in  Isaiah  : — 

Hast  thou  not  heard  how  I  have  done  it  long  ago,  and  from  the  days  of 
old  have  I  formed  it ;  now  have  I  brought  it  to  pass,  and  it  shall  be  to 
lay  waste  bulwarks,  fenced  cities,  in  heaps ;  and  their  inhabitants,  short 
of  hand,  were  dismayed  and  put  to  shame  ;  they  were  made  the  grass  of 
the  field,  and  the  green  (olus)  of  the  herb,  the  grass  of  the  house-tops, 
and  a  field  parched  before  (coram)  the  standing  corn  (xxxvii.  26,  27). 

Here  it  is  explained  what  is  signified  by  the  "grass  of  the 
field,"  the  "  green  of  the  herb,"  the  "  grass  on  the  house-tops," 
and  a  "field  parched;"  for  the  subject  here  treated  of  is  the 
time  before  the  flood,  which  is  meant  by  "  long  ago,"  and  the 
"  days  of  old." 

275.  Verse  19.  In  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread, 
till  thou  return  unto  the  ground  ;  for  out  of  it  wast  thou  taken; 
for  dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return.     By  "  eating 
bread  in  the  sweat  of  the  face,"  is  signified  to  be  averse  to  what 
is  celestial ;   to  "  return  to  the  ground  from  whence  he  was 
taken,"  is  to  relapse  into  the  external  man,  such  as  he  was  before 
regeneration ;   and  "  dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou 
return,"  signifies  that  he  is  condemned  and  infernal. 

276.  That  to  "eat  bread  in  the  sweat  of  the  face"  signifies 
to  be  averse  to  what  is  celestial,  is  evident  from  the  significa- 
tion of  "  bread."    By  "  bread"  is  meant  everything  spiritual  and 
celestial,  which  is  the  food  of  the  angels,  on  the  deprivation  of 
which  they  would  cease  to  live  as  certainly  as  men  deprived  of 
bread  or  food.     That  which  is  celestial  and  spiritual  in  heaven 
also  corresponds  to  bread  on  earth,  by  which  moreover  they  are 
represented,  as  is  shown  by  many  passages  in  the  Word.     That 
the  Lord  is  "bread,"  because  from  Him  proceeds  whatever  is 
celestial  and  spiritual,  He  Himself  teaches  in  John  : — 


N.  276]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  19  119 

This  is  the  bread  that  coineth  down  from  heaven ;  he  that  eateth  of 
this  bread  shall  live  to  eternity  (vi.  58). 

Wherefore  also  bread  and  wine  are  the  symbols  employed  in 
the  Holy  Supper.  This  celestial  is  also  represented  by  the 
manna.  That  what  is  celestial  and  spiritual  constitutes  the 
food  of  angels,  is  manifest  from  the  Lord's  words  : — 

Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that  proceedeth 
out  of  the  mouth  of  God  (Matt.  iv.  4), 

that  is,  from  the  life  of  the  Lord,  from  which  comes  everything 
celestial  and  spiritual.  [2]  The  last  posterity  of  the  Most 
Ancient  Church,  which  existed  immediately  before  the  flood, 
and  is  here  treated  of,  had  become  so  thoroughly  lost  and  im- 
mersed in  sensuous  and  bodily  things,  that  they  were  no  longer 
willing  to  hear  what  was  the  truth  of  faith,  what  the  Lord  was, 
or  that  He  would  come  and  save  them  ;  and  when  such  subjects 
were  mentioned  they  turned  away.  This  aversion  is  described 
by  "  eating  bread  in  the  sweat  of  the  face."  So  also  the  Jews, 
in  consequence  of  their  being  of  such  a  character  that  they  did 
not  acknowledge  the  existence  of  heavenly  things,  and  desired 
only  a  worldly  Messiah,  could  not  help  feeling  an  aversion  for 
the  manna,  because  it  was  a  representation  of  the  Lord,  calling 
it  "  vile  bread,"  on  which  account  fiery  serpents  were  sent 
among  them  (Num.  xxi.  5,  6).  Moreover  the  heavenly  things 
imparted  to  them  in  states  of  adversity  and  misery,  when  they 
were  in  tears,  were  called  by  them  the  "  bread  of  adversity," 
the  "  bread  of  misery,"  and  the  "  bread  of  tears."  In  the  pas- 
sage before  us,  that  which  was  received  with  aversion  is  called 
the  "  bread  of  the  sweat  of  the  face." 

277.  This  is  the  internal  sense.     He  who  keeps  close  to  the 
letter,  understands  no  other  than  that  man  must  procure  bread 
for  himself  out  of  the  ground  by  labor,  or  by  the  sweat  of  his 
face.     "  Man"  however  does  not  here  mean  any  one  man,  but 
the  Most  Ancient  Church ;   nor  does  "  ground"  mean  ground, 
nor  "bread"  bread,  nor  "garden"  garden,  but  celestial  and 
spiritual  things,  as  has  been  sufficiently  shown. 

278.  That  by   "returning  to  the   ground  whence  he  was 
taken"  is  signified  that  the  church  would  return  to  the  exter- 
nal man  such  as  it  was  before  regeneration,  is  evident  from  the 


120  GENESIS  [N.  278 

fact  that  "ground"  signifies  the  external  man,  as  previously 
stated.  And  that  "  dust"  signifies  what  is  condemned  and  in- 
fernal, is  also  evident  from  what  was  said  of  the  serpent,  which 
In  consequence  of  being  cursed  is  said  to  "  eat  dust."  In  addi- 
tion to  what  was  there  shown  as  to  the  signification  of  "  dust," 
we  may  add  the  following  passages  from  David : — 

All  those  who  go  down  to  the  dust  shall  bow  before  Jehovah,  and 
those  whose  soul  He  hath  not  made  alive  (Ps.  xxii.  29). 

And  in  another  place  : — 

Thou  hidest  Thy  faces,  they  are  troubled  ;  Thou  takest  away  their 
breath,  they  expire,  and  return  to  their  dust  (Ps.  civ.  29), 

which  means  that  when  men  turn  away  from  the  face  of  the 
Lord,  they  expire  or  die,  and  thus  "  return  to  the  dust,"  that 
is,  are  condemned  and  become  infernal. 

279.  All  these  verses  then,  taken  in  a  series,  involve  that 
the  sensuous  part  averted  itself  from  the  celestial  (verse 
14) ;  that  the  Lord  would  come  into  the  world  for  the  purpose 
of  reuniting  them  (verse  15)  ;  that  combat  arose  in  consequence 
of  the  external  man  averting  itself  (verse  16) ;  whence  resulted 
misery  (verse  17) ;  condemnation  (verse  18) ;  and  at  length 
hell  (verse  19).  These  things  followed  in  succession  in  that 
church,  from  the  fourth  posterity  down  to  the  flood. 


20.  And  the  man  (homo)  called  his  wife's  name  Eve,  because 
she  was  the  mother  of  all  living. 

21.  And  Jehovah  God  made  for  the  man  and  for  his  wife 
coats  of  skin,  and  clothed  them. 

22.  And  Jehovah  God  said,  Behold,  the  man  is  become  as 
one  of  us,  knowing  good  and  evil ;  and  now  lest  he  put  forth 
his  hand,  and  take  also  of  the  tree  of  lives,  and  eat,  and  live  to 
eternity, 

23.  Therefore  Jehovah  God  sent  him  forth  from  the  garden 
of  Eden,  to  till  the  ground  from  which  he  was  taken. 

24.  And  He  cast  out  the  man ;  and  He  made  to  dwell  from 
the  east  toward  the  garden  of  Eden  cherubim,  and  the  flame  of 
a  sword  turning  itself,  to  keep  the  way  of  the  tree  of  lives. 


N.  280]  CONTENTS  121 


THE  CONTENTS. 

280.  The  Most  Ancient  Church,  and  those  who  fell  away, 
are  here  summarily  treated  of ;  thus  also  its  posterity  down  to 
the  flood,  when  it  expired. 

281.  Of  the   Most  Ancient   Church   which  was    celestial, 
and  from  the  life  of  faith  in  the  Lord,  called  "  Eve,"  and  the 
"  mother  of  all  living"  (verse  20). 

282.  Of  its  first  posterity,  in  which  there  was  celestial  spir- 
itual good ;  and  of  its  second  and  third,  in  which  there  was  nat- 
ural good,  signified  by  the  "  coat  of  skin  which  Jehovah  God 
made  for  the  man  and  his  wife"  (verse  21). 

283.  Of  the  fourth  posterity,  in  which  natural  good  began 
to  be  dissipated,  and  which,  had  they  been  created  anew  or  in- 
structed in  the  celestial  things  of  faith,  would  have  perished, 
which  is  meant  by,  "  Lest  he  put  forth  his  hand,  and  take  also 
of  the  tree  of  lives,  and  eat,  and  live  to  eternity"  (verse  22). 

284.  Of  the  fifth  posterity,  which  was  deprived  of  all  good 
and  truth,  and  was  reduced  to  the  state  in  which  they  had  been 
previous  to  regeneration,  which  is  meant  by  his  being  "  sent 
forth  out  of  the  garden  of  Eden  to  till  the  ground  from  which 
he  was  taken"  (verse  23). 

285.  Of  the  sixth  and  seventh  posterities,  in  that  they  were 
deprived  of  all  memory-knowledge  (scientia)  of  what  is  good 
and  true,  and  were  left  to  their  own  filthy  loves  and  persua- 
sions ;  this  being  provided  lest  they  should  profane  the  holy 
things  of  faith, — which  is  signified  by  his  being  "  driven  out, 
and  cherubim  being  made  to  dwell  at  the  garden,  with  the  flame 
of  a  sword,  to  keep  the  way  of  the  tree  of  lives"  (verse  24). 


THE   INTEENAL   SENSE. 

286.  This  and  the  preceding  chapters,  down  to  the  verses 
now  under  consideration,  treat  of  the  most  ancient  people  and 
of  their  regeneration :  first,  of  those  who  lived  like  wild  ani- 
mals, but  at  length  became  spiritual  men ;  then  of  those  who 


122  GENESIS  [N.  286 

became  celestial  men,  and  constituted  the  Most  Ancient  Church ; 
afterwards  of  those  who  fell  away,  and  their  descendants,  in  reg- 
ular order  through  the  first,  second,  and  third  posterities  and 
their  successors,  down  to  the  flood.  In  the  verses  following, 
which  conclude  the  chapter,  we  have  a  recapitulation  of  what 
occurred  from  the  period  when  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church  was  formed,  until  the  flood ;  thus  it  is  a  conclusion  to 
all  that  goes  before. 

287.  Verse  20.  And  the  m.an  called  his  wife's  name  Eve,  be- 
cause she  was  the  mother  of  all  living.     By  the  "  man  (homo)" 
is  here  meant  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  or  the  ce- 
lestial man,  and  by  the  "  wife"  and  the  "  mother  of  all  living" 
is  meant  the  church.     She  is  called  "  mother,"  as  being  the  first 
church ;  and  "  living,"  in  consequence  of  possessing  faith  in 
the  Lord,  who  is  life  itself. 

288.  That  by  "  man"  is  meant  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church,  or  the  celestial  man,  was  previously  shown ;  and  at  the 
same  time  it  was  also  shown  that  the  Lord  alone  is  Man,  and 
that  from  Him  every  celestial  man  is  man,  because  in  His  like- 
ness.    Hence  every  member  of  the  church,  without  exception 
or  distinction,  was  called  a  "  man,"  and  at  length  this  name  was 
applied  to  any  one  who  in  body  appeared  as  a  man,  to  distin- 
guish him  from  beasts. 

289.  It  has  also  been  shown  above  that  by  "  wife"  is  meant 
the  church,  and  in  the  universal  sense  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord 
in  the  heavens  and  on  earth ;  and  from  this  it  follows  that  the 
same  is  meant  by  "  mother."    In  the  Word  the  church  is  very 
frequently  called  "  mother,"  as  in  Isaiah : — 

Where  is  the  bill  of  your  mother's  divorcement  ?  (1.  1). 
In  Jeremiah : — 

Your  mother  is  greatly  ashamed  :  she  that  bare  you  was  suffused  with 
shame  (1.  12). 

In  Ezekiel : — 

Thou  art  thy  mother's  daughter  that  loathed  her  man  and  her  sons  ; 
your  mother  was  a  Hittite,  and  your  father  an  Amorite  (xvi.  45), 

where  "  man  (vir)"  denotes  the  Lord  and  all  that  is  celestial ; 
"  sons,"  the  truths  of  faith  ;  a  "  Hittite,"  what  is  false :  and  an 
"  Amorite,"  what  is  evil.  In  the  same  -.— .- 


N.  289]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  20  123 

Thy  mother  is  like  a  vine  hi  thy  likeness,  planted  near  the  waters ; 
she  was  fruitful  and  full  of  leaves  because  of  many  waters  (xix.  10). 

Here  "mother"  denotes  the  Ancient  Church.  The  term 
"mother"  is  more  especially  applicable  to  the  Most  Ancient 
Church,  because  it  was  the  first  church,  and  the  only  one  that 
was  celestial,  and  therefore  beloved  by  the  Lord  more  than  any 
other. 

290.  That  she  was  called  the  "mother  of  all  living"  in  con- 
sequence of  possessing  faith  in  the  Lord,  who  is  Life  itself,  is 
also  evident  from  what  has  been  already  shown.  There  cannot 
be  more  than  one  Life,  from  which  is  the  life  of  all,  and  there 
can  be  no  life,  which  is  life,  except  through  faith  in  the  Lord, 
who  is  the  Life ;  nor  can  there  be  faith  in  which  is  life,  except 
from  Him,  consequently  unless*  He  is  in  it.  On  this  account, 
in  the  Word,  the  Lord  alone  is  called  "  Living,"  and  is  named 
the  "  Living  Jehovah"  (Jer.  v.  2 ;  xii.  16 ;  xvL  14,  15 ;  xxiii.  7 ; 
Ezek.  v.  11)  ;  "He  that  Iweth  to  eternity"  (Dan.  iv.  34 ;  Rev.  iv. 
10 ;  v.  14 ;  x.  6) ;  the  "  Fountain  of  life"  (Ps.  xxxvi.  9) ;  the 
"Fountain  of  living  waters"  (Jer.  xvii.  13).  Heaven  (which 
lives  by  or  from  Him)  is  called  the  "  Land  of  the  living"  (Isa. 
xxxviii.  11 ;  liii.  8 ;  Ezek.  xxvi.  20 ;  xxxii.  23-27,  32 ;  Ps.  xxvii. 
13 ;  lii.  5 ;  cxlii.  5).  And  those  are  called  " Living"  who  are 
in  faith  in  the  Lord ;  as  in  David : — 

Who  putteth  our  soul  among  the  living  (Ps.  Ixvi.  9). 

And  those  who  possess  faith  are  said  to  be  "  in  the  Book  of 
lives"  (Ps.  Ixix.  28),  and  "  in  the  Book  of  life"  (Rev.  xiii.  8 ; 
xvii.  8 ;  xx.  15).  Wherefore  also  those  who  receive  faith  in 
Him  are  said  to  be  "  made  alive"  (Hos.  vi.  2 ;  Ps.  Ixxxv.  6). 
On  the  other  hand  it  follows  that  those  who  are  not  in  faith 
are  called  "  dead  ;"  as  in  Isaiah  : — 

The  dead  shall  not  live  ;  the  Rephaim  shall  not  rise  again,  because 
Thou  hast  visited  and  destroyed  them  (xxvi.  14), 

meaning  those  who  are  puffed  up  with  the  love  of  self ;  to 
"  rise  again"  signifies  to  enter  into  life.  They  are  also  said  to 
be  "  pierced"  (Ezek.  xxxii.  23-26,  28-31).  They  are  also  called 
"  dead"  by  the  Lord  (Matt.  iv.  16 ;  John  v.  25 ;  viii.  21,  24,  51, 
52).  Hell  also  is  called  "  death"  (Isa.  xxv.  8 ;  xxviii.  15). 


124  GENESIS  [N.  291 

291.  In  this  verse  is  described  the  first  time,  when  the  church 
was  in  the  flower  of  her  youth,  representing  the  heavenly  mar- 
riage, on  which  account  she  is  described  by  a  marriage,  and  is 
called  "  Eve,"  from  a  word  meaning  "  life." 

292.  Verse  21.   And  Jehovah  God  made  for  the  man  (homo) 
and  for  his  wife  coats  of  skin,  and  clothed  them.     These  words 
signify  that  the  Lord  instructed  them  in  spiritual  and  natural 
good ;   His   instructing  them  is  expressed  by  "  making"  and 
"  clothing,"  and  spiritual  and  natural  good,  by  the  "  coat  of 
skin." 

293.  It  could  never  appear  from  the  letter  that  these  things 
are  signified ;    and  yet  there  is  evidently  here  enfolded  some 
deeper  meaning,  for  every  one  must  be  aware  that  Jehovah 
God  did  not  make  a  coat  of  skin  for  them. 

294.  Neither  would  it  be  evident  to  any  one  that  a  "  coat 
of  skin"  signifies  spiritual  and  natural  good,  except  by  a  reve- 
lation of  the  internal  sense,  and  a  subsequent  comparison  of 
passages  in  the  Word  where  similar  expressions  occur.     The 
general  term  "  skin"  is  here  used,  but  that  of  a  kid,  sheep,  or 
ram,  is  understood,  which  animals  in  the  Word  signify  affec- 
tions of  good,  charity,  and  that  which  is  of  charity,  as  was 
likewise  signified  by  the  sheep  used  in  the  sacrifices.     Those 
are  called  "  sheep"  who  are  endowed  with  the  good  of  charity, 
that  is,  with  spiritual  and  natural  good,  and  hence  the  Lord  is 
called  the  "  Shepherd  of  the  sheep,"  and  those  who  are  en- 
dowed  with   charity  are   called   His  "sheep,"  as  everybody 
knows. 

295.  The  reason  why  they  are  said  to  be  "  clothed  with  a 
coat  of  skin,"  is  that  the  most  ancient  people  were  said  to  be 
"  naked,"  on  account  of  their  innocence ;  but  when  they  lost 
their  innocence  they  became  conscious  that  they  were  in  evil, 
which  also  is  called  "  nakedness."     That  all  things  might  ap- 
pear to  cohere  historically  (in  accordance  with  the  way  of 
speaking  of  the  most  ancient  people),  they  are  here  said  to  be 
"  clothed  lest  they  should  be  naked,"  or  in  evil.     Their  being 
in  spiritual  and  natural  good  is  evident  from  what  was  re- 
marked  above  concerning  them,  from  verse   1  to  13  of  this 
chapter,  as  well  as  from  its  being  here  related  that  "  Jehovah 
God  made  them  a  coat  of  skin,  and  clothed  them ;"  for  it  here 


N.  295]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  21  125 

treats  of  the  first — and  more  especially  of  the  second  and 
third — posterities  of  the  church,  who  were  endowed  with  such 
good. 

296.  That  the  skins  of  kids,  sheep,  goats,  badgers,  and  rams 
signify  spiritual  and  natural  goods,  is  evident  from  the  internal 
sense  of  the  Word,  where  Jacob  is  treated  of,  and  also  where 
the  ark  is  treated  of.    Of  Jacob  it  is  said  that  he  was  "  clothed 
with  the  raiment  of  Esau,"  and  on  his  hands  and  on  his  neck, 
where  he  was  naked,  "  with  skins  of  kids  of  the  goats,"  and 
when  Isaac  smelled  them,  he  said,  "  the  smell  of  my  son  is  as 
the  smell  of  a  field  "(Gen.  xxvii.  15,  16,  27).    That  these  skins 
signify  spiritual  and  natural  goods,  will  of  the  Lord's  Divine 
mercy  be  seen  in  that  place.     Of  the  ark  it  is  said  that  the 
covering  of  the  tent  was  "  of  rams'  skins  and  badgers'  skins" 
(Exod.  xxvi.  14 ;  xxxvi.  19),  and  that  when  they  set  forward 
Aaron  and  his  sons  covered  the  ark  with  a  covering  "  of  bad- 
gers' skins,"  and  likewise  the  table  and  its  vessels,  the  candle- 
stick and  its  vessels,  the  altar  of  gold,  and  the  vessels  of 
ministry  and  of   the  altar    (Num.  iv.  6-14).     Of  the  Lord's 
Divine  mercy  it  will  in  that  place  also  be  seen  that  these  skins 
signify  spiritual  and  natural  good,  for  whatever  was  in  the 
ark,  the  tabernacle,  or  the  tent,  yea,  whatever  was  upon  Aaron 
when  clothed  with  the  garments  of  holiness,  signified  what  is 
celestial  spiritual,  so  that  there  was  not  the  least  thing  that 
had  not  its  own  representation. 

297.  Celestial  good  is  not  clothed,  because  it  is  inmost,  and 
is  innocent ;  but  celestial  spiritual  good  is  that  which  is  first 
clothed,  and  then  natural  good,  for  these  are  more  external, 
and  on  that  account  are  compared  to  and  are  called  "  garments ;" 
as  in  Ezekiel,  speaking  of  the  Ancient  Church : — 

I  clothed  thee  with  broidered  work,  and  shod  thee  with  badger,  I 
girded  thee  about  with  fine  linen,  and  I  covered  thee  with  silk  (xvi.  10). 

In  Isaiah : — 

Put  on  thy  beautiful  garments,  O  Jerusalem,  the   city  of  holiness 
(Hi  1). 

In  the  Revelation  : — 

Who  have  not  defiled  their  garments,  and  they  shall  walk  with  me  in 
white,  for  they  are  worthy  (iii.  4,  5), 


126  GENESIS  [N.  297 

where  it  is  likewise  said  of  the  four  and  twenty  elders  that 
they  were  "  clothed  in  white  raiment"  (iv.  4).  Thus  the  more 
external  goods,  which  are  celestial  spiritual,  and  natural,  are 
"  garments ;"  wherefore  also  those  who  are  endowed  with  the 
goods  of  charity  appear  in  heaven  clothed  in  shining  garments  ; 
but  here,  because  still  in  the  body,  with  a  "  coat  of  skin." 

298.  Verse  22.   And  Jehovah  God  said,  Behold  the  man  is 
become  as  one  of  us,  knowing  good  and  evil;  and  now  lest  he  put 
forth  his  hand,  and  take  also  of  the  tree  of  lives,  and  eat,  and 
live  to  eternity.    The  reason  "  Jehovah  God"  is  first  mentioned 
in  the  singular,  and  afterwards  in  the  plural  number,  is  that 
by  "  Jehovah  God"  is  meant  the  Lord,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  angelic  heaven.     The  man's  "knowing  good  and  evil," 
signifies  that  he  had  become  celestial,  and  thus  wise  and  intel- 
ligent ;  "  lest  he  put  forth  his  hand,  and  take  also  of  the  tree  of 
lives,"  means  that  he  must  not  be  instructed  in  the  mysteries 
of  faith,  for  then  never  to  all  eternity  could  he  be  saved,  which 
is  to  "  live  to  eternity." 

299.  Here  are  two  arcana  :  first,  that  "  Jehovah  God"  signi- 
fies the  Lord,  and  at  the  same  time  heaven ;  secondly,  that 
had  they  been  instructed  in  the  mysteries  of  faith  they  would 
have  perished  eternally. 

300.  As  regards  the  first  arcanum, — that  by  "  Jehovah  God" 
is  meant  the  Lord  and  at  the  same  time  heaven, — it  is  to  be  ob- 
served that  in  the  Word,  always  for  a  secret  reason,  the  Lord  is 
sometimes  called  merely  "Jehovah,"  sometimes  "Jehovah  God," 
sometimes  "  Jehovah"  and  then  "  God,"  sometimes  the  "  Lord 
Jehovih,"  sometimes  the  "God  of  Israel,"  and  sometimes  "God" 
only.     Thus  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  where  it  is  also 
said,  in  the  plural,  "  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,"  He  is 
called  "  God"  only,  and  He  is  not  called  "  Jehovah  God"  until 
the  following  chapter,  where  the  celestial  man  is  treated  of. 
He  is  called  "  Jehovah"  because  He  alone  is  or  lives,  thus  from 
Essence ;  and  "  God,"  because  He  can  do  all  things,  thus  from 
Power ;  as  is  evident  from  the  Word,  where  this  distinction  is 
made  (Isa.  xlix.  4,  5 ;  Iv.  7 ;  Ps.  xviii.  2,  28,  29,  31 ;  xxxi.  14). 
On  this  account  every  angel  or  spirit  who  spoke  with  man. 
and  who  was  supposed  to  possess  any  power,  was  called  "  God," 
as  appears  from  David: — 


N.  300]  CHAPTER  III.  VER.  22  127 

God  hath  stood  in  the  congregation  of  God,  He  will  judge  in  the  midst 
of  the  gods  (Ps.  Ixxxii.  1)  ; 

and  in  another  place : — 

Who  in  the  sky  shall  be  compared  unto  Jehovah  ?  who  among  the 
sons  of  the  gods  shall  be  likened  to  Jehovah  ?  (Ps.  Ixxxix.  6). 

Again : — 

Confess  ye  to  the  God  of  gods,  confess  ye  to  the  Lord  of  lords  (Ps. 
cxxxvi.  2,  3). 

Men  also  as  being  possessed  of  power  are  called  "gods,"  as 
in  Ps.  Ixxxii.  6 ;  John  x.  34,  35.  Moses  also  is  said  to  be  "  a 
god  to  Pharaoh"  (Exod.  vii.  1).  For  this  reason  the  word 
" God"  in  the  Hebrew  is  in  the  plural  number — " Elohim" 
But  as  the  angels  do  not  possess  the  least  power  of  themselves, 
as  indeed  they  acknowledge,  but  solely  from  the  Lord,  and  as 
there  is  but  one  God,  therefore  by  "  Jehovah  God"  in  the 
Word  is  meant  the  Lord  alone.  But  where  anything  is  effected 
by  the  ministry  of  angels,  as  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis, 
He  is  spoken  of  in  the  plural  number.  Here  also  because  the 
celestial  man,  as  man,  could  not  be  put  in  comparison  with  the 
Lord,  but  with  the  angels  only,  it  is  said,  the  man  "  is  become 
as  one  of  us,  knowing  good  and  evil,"  that  is,  is  wise  and 
intelligent. 

301.  The  other  arcanum  is  that  had  they  been  instructed 
in  the  mysteries  of  faith  they  would  have  perished  eternally, 
which  is  signified  by  the  words,  "  now  lest  he  put  forth  his 
hand,  and  take  also  of  the  tree  of  lives,  and  eat,  and  live  to 
eternity."  The  case  is  this  :  When  men  have  become  inverted 
orders  of  life,  and  are  unwilling  to  live,  or  to  become  wise,  ex- 
cept from  themselves  and  from  their  Own,  they  reason  about 
everything  they  hear  respecting  faith,  as  to  whether  it  is  so, 
or  not ;  and  as  they  do  this  from  themselves  and  from  their 
own  things  of  sense  and  of  memory-knowledge,  it  must  needs 
lead  to  denial,  and  consequently  to  blasphemy  and  profana- 
tion, so  that  at  length  they  do  not  scruple  to  mix  up  profane 
things  with  holy.  When  a  man  becomes  like  this,  he  is  so 
condemned  in  the  other  life  that  there  remains  for  him  no  hope 
of  salvation.  For  things  mixed  up  by  profanation  remain  so 
mixed  up,  so  that  whenever  any  idea  of  something  holy  presents 


128  GENESIS  [N.  301 

itself,  an  idea  of  something  profane  that  is  conjoined  with  it 
is  also  there,  the  consequence  of  which  is  that  the  person  can- 
not be  in  any  society  except  one  of  the  damned.  Whatever  is 
present  in  any  idea  of  thought  in  consequence  of  being  con- 
joined with  it,  is  most  exquisitely  perceived  in  the  other  life, 
even  by  spirits  in  the  world  of  spirits,  and  much  more  so  by 
angelic  spirits,  so  exquisitely  indeed  that  from  a  single  idea 
they  know  a  person's  character.  The  separation  of  profane 
and  holy  ideas  when  thus  conjoined  cannot  be  effected  except 
by  means  of  such  infernal  torment  that  if  a  man  were  aware 
of  it  he  would  as  carefully  avoid  profanation  as  he  would  avoid 
hell  itself. 

302.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  mysteries  of  faith  were 
never  revealed  to  the  Jews.  They  were  not  even  plainly  told 
that  they  were  to  live  after  death,  nor  that  the  Lord  would  come 
into  the  world  to  save  them.  So  great  were  the  ignorance  and 
stupidity  in  which  they  were  kept,  and  still  are  kept,  that  they 
did  not  and  do  not  know  of  the  existence  of  the  internal  man, 
or  of  anything  internal,  for  if  they  had  known  of  it,  or  if  they 
now  knew  of  it,  so  as  to  acknowledge  it,  such  is  their  character 
that  they  would  profane  it,  and  there  would  be  no  hope  of  any 
salvation  for  them  in  the  other  life.  This  is  what  is  meant  by 
the  Lord  in  John  : — 

He  hath  blinded  their  eyes,  and  stopped  up  their  heart,  that  they 
should  not  see  with  their  eyes,  nor  understand  with  their  heart,  and  con- 
vert themselves,  and  I  should  heal  them  (xii.  40). 

And  by  the  Lord  speaking  to  them  in  parables  without  ex- 
plaining to  them  their  meaning,  lest  (as  He  Himself  says), 

Seeing  they  should  see,  and  hearing  they  should  hear,  and  should  un- 
derstand (Matt.  xiii.  13). 

For  the  same  reason  all  the  mysteries  of  faith  were  hidden 
from  them,  and  were  concealed  under  the  representatives  of 
their  church,  and  for  the  same  reason  the  prophetic  style  is 
of  the  same  character.  It  is  however  one  thing  to  know,  and 
another  to  acknowledge.  He  who  knows  and  does  not  acknowl- 
edge, is  as  if  he  knew  not ;  but  it  is  he  who  acknowledges  and 
afterwards  blasphemes  and  profanes,  that  is  meant  by  these 
words  of  the  Lord, 


N.  303]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  22  129 

303.  A  man  acquires  a  life  by  all  the  things  he  is  persuaded 
of,  that  is,  which  he  acknowledges  and  believes.  That  of 
which  he  is  not  persuaded,  or  does  not  acknowledge  and  be- 
lieve, does  not  affect  his  mind.  And  therefore  no  one  can 
profane  holy  things  unless  he  has  been  so  persuaded  of  them 
that  he  acknowledges  them,  and  yet  denies  them.  Those  who 
do  not  acknowledge  may  know,  but  are  as  if  they  did  not  know, 
and  are  like  those  who  know  things  that  have  no  existence. 
Such  were  the  Jews  about  the  time  of  the  Lord's  advent,  and 
therefore  they  are  said  in  the  Word  to  be  "  vastated"  or 
"laid  waste,"  that  is,  to  have  no  longer  any  faith.  Under 
these  circumstances  it  does  men  no  injury  to  have  the  interior 
contents  of  the  Word  opened  to  them,  for  they  are  as  persons 
seeing,  and  yet  not  seeing ;  hearing,  and  yet  not  hearing ;  and 
whose  hearts  are  stopped  up ;  of  whom  the  Lord  says  in 
Isaiah : — 

Go  and  tell  this  people,  Hearing  hear  ye,  but  understand  not,  and  see- 
ing see  ye,  but  know  not.  Make  the  heart  of  this  people  fat,  and  make 
their  ears  heavy,  and  smear  their  eyes,  lest  they  see  with  their  eyes,  and 
hear  with  their  ears,  and  understand  with  their  heart,  and  be  converted, 
so  that  they  be  healed  (vi.  9,  10). 

That  the  mysteries  of  faith  are  not  revealed  until  men  are  in 
such  a  state,  that  is,  are  so  vastated  that  they  no  longer  be- 
lieve (in  order,  as  before  said,  that  they  may  not  be  able  to 
profane  them),  the  Lord  also  plainly  declares  in  the  subsequent 
verses  of  the  same  Prophet : — 

Then  said  I,  Lord,  how  long  ?  And  He  said,  Even  until  the  cities 
are  desolated,  so  that  there  be  no  inhabitant ;  and  the  houses,  so  that 
there  be  no  man,  and  the  ground  be  utterly  desolated,  and  Jehovah  have 
removed  man  (vi.  12). 

He  is  called  a  "  man"  who  is  wise,  or  who  acknowledges  and 
believes.  The  Jews  were  thus  vastated,  as  already  said,  at 
the  time  of  the  Lord's  advent ;  and  for  the  same  reason  they 
are  still  kept  in  such  vastation  by  their  cupidities,  and  espe- 
cially by  their  avarice,  that  although  they  hear  of  the  Lord  a 
thousand  times,  and  that  the  representatives  of  their  church  are 
significative  of  Him  in  every  particular,  yet  they  acknowledge 
and  believe  nothing.  This  then  was  the  reason  why  the  ante- 
diluvians were  cast  out  of  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  vastated 
VOL.  1—9 


130  GENESIS  [N.  303 

even  until  they  were  no  longer  capable  of  acknowledging  any 
truth. 

304.  From  all  this  it  is  evident  what  is  meant  by  the  words, 
"  lest  he  put  forth  his  hand,  and  take  also  of  the  tree  of  lives, 
and  eat,  and  live  to  eternity."     To  "  take  of  the  tree  of  lives 
and  eat,"  is  to  know  even  so  as  to  acknowledge  whatever  is  of 
love  and  faith ;  for  "  lives"  in  the  plural  denote  love  and  faith, 
and  to  "  eat"  signifies  here  as  before,  to  know.     To  "  live  to 
eternity,"  is  not  to  live  in  the  body  to  eternity,  but  to  live 
after  death  in  eternal  damnation.     A  man  who  is  "  dead"  is 
not  so  called  because  he  is  to  die  after  the  life  of  the  body, 
but  because  he  will  live  a  life  of  death,  for  "  death"  is  damna- 
tion and  hell.     The  expression  to  "  live,"  is  used  with  a  sim- 
ilar signification  by  Ezekiel : — 

Ye  hunt  souls  for  My  people,  and  save  souls  alive  for  yourselves,  and 
ye  have  profaned  Me  among  My  people,  to  slay  souls  that  will  not  die, 
and  to  make  souls  live  that  will  not  live  (xiii.  18,  19). 

305.  Verse  23.   Therefore  Jehovah  God  sent  him  forth  from 
the  garden  of  Eden,  to  till  the  ground  from  which  he  was  taken. 
To  be  "  cast  out  of  the  garden  of  Eden,"  is  to  be  deprived  of 
all  intelligence   and  wisdom ;  and  to  "  till  the  ground  from 
which  he  was  taken,"  is  to  become  corporeal,  as  he  was  pre- 
vious to  regeneration. 

That  to  be  "  cast  out  of  the  garden  of  Eden"  is  to  be  deprived 
of  all  intelligence  and  wisdom,  is  evident  from  the  signification 
of  a  "  garden,"  and  of  "  Eden,"  as  above ;  for  a  "  garden" 
signifies  intelligence,  or  the  understanding  of  truth ;  and 
"Eden,"  being  significative  of  love,  signifies  wisdom,  or  the 
will  of  good. 

That  to  "  till  the  ground  from  which  he  was  taken"  signifies 
to  become  corporeal,  such  as  he  was  before  regeneration,  has 
been  shown  above  (verse  19),  where  similar  words  occur. 

306.  Verse  24.  And  He  cast  out  the  man  ;  and  He  made  to 
dwell  from  the  east  toward  the  garden  of  Eden  cherubim,  and 
the  flame  of  a  sivord  turning  itself,  to  keep  the  ivay  of  the  tree 
of  lives.     To  "  cast  out  the  man,"  is  to  entirely  deprive  him  of 
all  the  will  of  good  and  understanding  of  truth,  insomuch  that 
he  is  separated  from  them,  and  is  no  longer  man.     To  "  make 


N.  306]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  24  131 

cherubim  from  the  east  to  dwell,"  is  to  provide  against  his  en- 
tering into  any  secret  thing  of  faith ;  for  the  "  east  toward  the 
garden  of  Eden,"  is  the  celestial,  from  which  is  intelligence ; 
and  by  "  cherubim"  is  signified  the  providence  of  the  Lord  in 
preventing  such  a  man  from  entering  into  the  things  of  faith. 
By  the  "  flame  of  a  sword  turning  itself,"  is  signified  self-love 
(amor  proprius)  with  its  insane  desires  and  consequent  persua- 
sions, which  are  such  that  he  indeed  wishes  to  enter,  but  is 
carried  away  to  corporeal  and  earthly  things,  and  this  for  the 
purpose  of  "  keeping  the  way  of  the-  tree  of  lives,"  that  is,  of 
preventing  the  profanation  of  holy  things. 

307.  It  here  treats  of  the  sixth  and  seventh  posterities, 
which  perished  by  the  flood,  and  were  altogether  "  cast  out  of 
the  garden  of  Eden,"  that  is,  from  all  understanding  of  truth, 
and  became  as  it  were  not  men,  being  left  to  their  insane  cu- 
pidities and  persuasions. 

308.  As  the  signification  of  the  "east"  and  of  the  "garden 
of  Eden"  were  given  above,  it  is  needless  to  dwell  longer  on 
them  ;  but  that  "  cherubim"  denote  the  providence  of  the  Lord 
lest,  man  should  insanely  enter  into  the  mysteries  of  faith  from 
his  Own,  and  from  what  is  of  the  senses  and  of  memory-knowl- 
edge (sensuali  et  scientificd),  and  should  thus  profane  them, 
and  destroy  himself,  is  evident  from  all  the  passages  in  the 
Word  where  mention  is  made  of  "  cherubim."     As  the  Jews 
were  of  such  a  quality  that  if  they  had  possessed  any  clear 
knowledge  concerning  the  Lord's  coming,  concerning  the  rep- 
resentatives or  types  of  the  church  as  being  significative  of 
Him,  concerning  the  life  after  death,  concerning  the  interior 
man  and  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word,  they  would  have  pro- 
faned it,  and  would  have  perished  eternally;  therefore  this 
was  represented  by  the  "  cherubim"  on  the  mercy -seat  over  the 
ark,  upon  the  curtains  of  the  tabernacle,  upon  the  vail,  and 
also  in  the  temple  ;  and  it  was  signified  that  the  Lord  had  them 
in  keeping  (Exod.  xxv.  18-21 ;  xxvi.  1,  31 ;  1  Kings  vi.  23- 
29,  32).     For  the  ark,  in  which  was  the  testimony,  signified 
the  same  as  the  tree  of  lives  in  this  passage,  namely,  the  Lord 
and  the  celestial  things  which  belong  solely  to  Him.     Hence 
also  the  Lord  is  so  often  called  the  "  God  of  Israel  sitting  on 
the  cherubim,"  and  hence  He  spake  with  Moses  and  Aaron 


132  GENESIS  [N.  308 

"  between  the  cherubim"  (Exod.  xxv.  22 ;  Num.  vii.  89).  This 
is  plainly  described  in  Ezekiel,  where  it  is  said : — 

The  glory  of  the  God  of  Israel  was  uplifted  from  upon  the  cherub 
whereon  He  was,  to  the  threshold  of  the  house.  And  He  called  to  the 
man  clothed  with  linen,  and  said  unto  him,  Go  through  the  midst  of  the 
city,  through  the  midst  of  Jerusalem,  and  set  a  mark  upon  the  foreheads 
of  the  men  who  groan  and  sigh  for  all  the  abominations  done  in  the  midst 
thereof.  And  to  the  others  He  said,  Go  ye  after  him  through  the  city,  and 
smite  ;  let  not  your  eye  spare,  neither  have  ye  pity  ;  slay  to  blotting  out 
the  old  man,  and  the  young  man,  and  the  virgin,  the  infant,  and  the 
women  ;  deiile  the  house,  and  till  the  courts  with  the  slain  (ix.  3-7). 

And  again : — 

He  said  to  the  man  clothed  in  linen,  Go  in  between  the  wheel  to  be- 
neath the  cherub,  and  fill  thy  palms  with  coals  of  fire  from  between  the 
cherubim,  and  scatter  them  over  the  city  ;  the  cherub  put  forth  his  hand 
from  between  the  cherubim  unto  the  fire  which  was  between  the  cheru- 
bim, and  took  thereof,  and  put  it  into  the  palms  of  him  that  was  clothed 
in  linen,  who  took  it  and  went  out  (x.  2,  7). 

From  these  passages  it  is  evident  that  the  providence  of  the 
Lord  in  preventing  men  from  entering  into  the  mysteries  of 
faith  is  signified  by  the  "  cherubim ;"  and  that  therefore  they 
were  left  to  their  insane  cupidities,  here  also  signified  by  the 
"  fire  that  was  to  be  scattered  over  the  city,"  and  that  "  none 
should  be  spared." 

309.  That  by  the  "  flame  of  a  sword  turning  itself,"  is  signi- 
fied self-love  (amor  proprius)  with  its  insane  cupidities  and 
persuasions,  which  are  such  that  they  desire  to  enter  [into  the 
mysteries  of  faith],  but  are  carried  away  to  corporeal  and 
earthly  things,  might  be  confirmed  by  so  many  passages  from 
the  Word  as  would  fill  pages ;  but  we  will  cite  only  these  from 
Ezekiel : — 

Prophesy  and  say,  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  Say  a  sword,  a  sword,  it  is 
sharpened,  and  also  burnished  to  make  a  sore  slaughter  ;  it  is  sharpened 
that  it  may  be  as  lightning.  Let  the  sword  be  doubled  the  third  time, 
the  sword  of  his  slain ;  the  sword  of  a  great  slaughter,  which  entereth 
into  their  bed-chambers,  that  their  heart  may  melt,  and  their  offenses  be 
multiplied,  I  have  set  the  terror  of  the  sword  in  all  their  gates.  Alas  !  it 
is  made  as  lightning  (xxi.  9,  10,  14,  15). 

A  "  sword"  here  signifies  the  desolation  of  man  such  that  he 
sees  nothing  that  is  good  and  true,  but  mere  falsities  and 


N.  309]  CHAPTER   HI.  VER.  24  133 

things  contrary,  denoted  by  "  multiplying  offenses."  It  is  also 
said  in  Nahum,  of  those  who  desire  to  enter  into  the  mysteries 
of  faith,  "  The  horseman  mounting,  and  the  flame  of  the  sword, 
and  the  flash  of  the  spear,  and  a  multitude  of  the  slain" 
(iii.  3). 

310.  Each  particular  expression  in  this  verse  involves  so 
many  arcana  of  deepest  import  (applicable  to  the  genius  of 
this  people  who  perished  by  the  flood,  a  genius  totally  different 
from  that  of  those  who  lived  subsequent  to  the  flood),  that  it 
is  impossible  to  set  them  forth.  We  will  briefly  observe  that 
their  first  parents,  who  constituted  the  Most  Ancient  Church, 
were  celestial  men,  and  consequently  had  celestial  seeds  im- 
planted in  them ;  whence  their  descendants  had  seed  in  them 
from  a  celestial  origin.  Seed  from  a  celestial  origin  is  such 
that  love  rules  the  whole  mind  and  makes  it  a  one.  For  the 
human  mind  consists  of  two  parts,  the  will  and  the  under- 
standing. Love  or  good  belongs  to  the  will,  faith  or  truth  to 
the  understanding ;  and  from  love  or  good  those  most  ancient 
people  perceived  what  belongs  to  faith  or  truth,  so  that  their 
mind  was  a  one.  With  the  posterity  of  such  a  race,  seed  of 
the  same  celestial  origin  necessarily  remains,  so  that  any  falling 
away  from  truth  and  good  on  their  part  is  most  perilous,  since 
their  whole  mind  becomes  so  perverted  as  to  render  a  restora- 
tion in  the  other  life  scarcely  possible.  It  is  otherwise  with 
those  who  do  not  possess  celestial  but  only  spiritual  seed,  as 
did  the  people  after  the  flood,  and  as  also  do  the  people  of  the 
present  day.  There  is  no  love  in  these,  consequently  no  will 
of  good,  but  still  there  is  a  capability  of  faith,  or  understand- 
ing of  truth,  by  means  of  which  they  can  be  brought  to  some 
degree  of  charity,  although  by  a  different  way,  namely,  by  the 
insinuation  of  conscience  from  the  Lord  grounded  in  the  knowl- 
edges of  truth  and  the  derivative  good.  Their  state  is  therefore 
quite  different  from  that  of  the  antediluvians,  concerning  which 
state,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter.  These  are  arcana 
with  which  the  present  generation  are  utterly  unacquainted, 
for  at  the  present  day  none  know  what  the  celestial  man  is  nor 
even  what  the  spiritual  man  is,  and  still  less  what  is  the 
quality  of  the  human  mind  and  life  thence  resulting,  and  the 
consequent  state  after  death. 


134  GENESIS  [N.  311 

311.  In  the  other  life,  the  state  of  those  who  perished  by 
the  flood  is  such  that  they  cannot  be  in  the  world  of  spirits,  or 
with  other  spirits,  but  are  in  a  hell  separated  from  the  hells  of 
others,  and  as  it  were  under  a  certain  mountain.     This  appears 
as  an  intervening  mountain  in  consequence  of  their  direful 
phantasies  and  persuasions.     Their  phantasies  and  persuasions 
are  such  as  to  produce  so  profound  a  stupor  in  other  spirits 
that  they  do  not  know  whether  they  are  alive  or  dead,  for  they 
deprive  them  of  all  understanding  of  truth,  so  that  they  per- 
ceive nothing.     Such  also  was  their  persuasive  power  during 
their  abode  in  the  world ;  and  because  it  was  foreseen  that  in 
the  other  life  they  would  be  incapable  of  associating  with  other 
spirits  without  inducing  on  them  a  kind  of  death,  they  all  be- 
came extinct,  and  the  Lord  of  His  Divine  mercy  induced  other 
states  on  those  who  lived  after  the  flood. 

312.  In  this  verse,  the  state  of  these  antediluvians  is  fully 
described,  in  that  they  were   "  cast  out,"  or  separated  from 
celestial  good,  and  in  that  "  cherubim  were  placed  from  the  east 
toward  the  garden  of  Eden."     This  expression,  "  from  the  east 
toward  the  garden  of  Eden,"  is  applicable  only  to  them,  and 
could  not  be  used  in  relation  to  those  who  lived  afterwards,  of 
whom  it  would  have  been  said,  "  from  the  garden  of  Eden 
toward  the  east."     In  like  manner,  had  the  words  "  the  flame 
of  a  sword  turning  itself"  been  applied  to  the  people  of  the 
present  day,  they  would  have  been  "the  sword  of  a  flame 
turning  itself."     Nor  would  it  have  been  said  the  "tree  of 
lives,"  but  the  "  tree  of  life ;"  not  to  mention  other  things  in 
the  series  that  cannot  possibly  be  explained,  being  understood 
only  by  the  angels,  to  whom  the  Lord  reveals  them  ;  for  every 
state  contains  infinite  arcana,  not  even  one  of  which  is  known 
to  men. 

313.  Prom  what  is  here  said  of  the  first  man,  it  is  evident 
that  all  the  hereditary  evil  existing  at  the  present  day  did  not 
come  from  him,  as  is  falsely  supposed.     For  it  is  the  Most 
Ancient  Church  that  is  here  treated  of  under  the  name  of 
"  man ;"  and  when  it  is  called  "  Adam,"  it  signifies  that  man 
was  from  the  ground,  or  that  from  being  non-man  he  became 
man  by  regeneration  from  the  Lord.     This  is  the  origin  and 
signification  of  the  name.     But  as  to  hereditary  evil,  the  case 


N.  313]  CHAPTER   III.  VER.  24  135 

is  this.  Every  one  who  commits  actual  sin  thereby  induces  on 
himself  a  nature,  and  the  evil  from  it  is  implanted  in  his  chil- 
dren, and  becomes  hereditary.  It  thus  descends  from  every 
parent,  from  the  father,  grandfather,  great-grandfather,  and 
their  ancestors  in  succession,  and  is  thus  multiplied  and  aug- 
mented in  each  descending  posterity,  remaining  with  each  per- 
son, and  being  increased  in  each  by  his  actual  sins,  and  never 
being  dissipated  so  as  to  become  harmless  except  in  those  who 
are  being  regenerated  by  the  Lord.  Every  attentive  observer 
may  see  evidence  of  this  truth  in  the  fact  that  the  evil  incli- 
nations of  parents  remain  visibly  in  their  children,  so  that  one 
family,  and  even  an  entire  race,  may  be  thereby  distinguished 
from  every  other. 


CONTINUATION    CONCERNING    MAN'S    ENTRANCE    INTO    ETERNAL 

LIFE. 

314.  After  the  use  of  light  has  been  given  to  the  resusci- 
tated person,  or  soul,  so  that  he  can  look  about  him,  the  spir- 
itual angels  previously  spoken  of  render  him  all  the  kindly 
services  he  can  in  that  state  desire,  and  give  him  information 
about  the  things  of  the  other  life,  but  only  so  far  as  he  is  able 
to  receive  it.     If  he  has  been  in  faith,  and  desires  it,  they  show 
him  the  wonderful  and  magnificent  things  of  heaven. 

315.  But  if  the  resuscitated  person  or  soul  is  not  of  such  a 
character  as  to  be  willing  to  be  instructed,  he  then  desires  to 
be  rid  of  the  company  of  the  angels,  which  they  exquisitely 
perceive,  for  in  the  other  life  there  is  a  communication  of  all 
the  ideas  of  thought.     Still,  they  do  not  leave  him  even  then, 
but  he  dissociates  himself  from  them.     The  angels  love  every 
one,  and  desire  nothing  more  than  to  render  him  kindly  ser- 
vices, to  instruct  him,  and  to  convey  him  to  heaven.     In  this 
consists  their  highest  delight. 

316.  When  the  soul  thus  dissociates  himself,  he  is  received 
by  good  spirits,  who  likewise  render  him  all  kind  offices  while 
he  is  in  their  company.     If  however  his  life  in  the  world  has 


136  GENESIS  [N.  316 

been  such  that  he  cannot  remain  in  the  company  of  the  good, 
he  desires  to  be  rid  of  these  also,  and  this  process  is  repeated 
again  and  again,  until  he  associates  himself  with  those  who  are 
in  full  agreement  with  his  former  life  in  the  world,  among 
whom  he  finds  as  it  were  his  own  life.  And  then,  wonderful 
to  say,  he  leads  with  them  a  life  like  that  which  he  had  lived 
when  in  the  body.  But  after  sinking  back  into  such  a  life,  he 
makes  a  new  beginning  of  life ;  and  some  after  a  longer  time, 
some  after  a  shorter,  are  from  this  borne  on  toward  hell ;  but 
such  as  have  been  in  faith  toward  the  Lord,  are  from  that  new 
beginning  of  life  led  step  by  step  toward  heaven. 

317.  Some  however  advance  more  slowly  toward  heaven, 
and  others  more  quickly.     I  have  seen  some  who  were  elevated 
to  heaven  immediately  after  death,  of  which  I  am  permitted  to 
mention  only  two  instances. 

318.  A  certain  spirit  came  and  discoursed  with  me,  who,  as 
was  evident  from  certain  signs,  had  only  lately  died.     At  first 
he  knew  not  where  he  was,  supposing  himself  still  to  be  in  the 
world ;  but  when  he  became  conscious  that  he  was  in  the  other 
life,  and  that  he  no  longer  possessed  anything,  such  as  house, 
wealth,  and  the  like,  being  in  another  kingdom,  where  he  was 
deprived  of  all  he  had  possessed  in  the  world,  he  was  seized 
with  anxiety,  and  knew  not  where  to  betake  himself,  or  whither 
to  go  for  a  place  of  abode.     He  was  then  informed  that  the 
Lord  alone  provides  for  him  and  for  all ;  and  was  left  to  him- 
self, that  his  thoughts  might  take  their  wonted  direction,  as  in 
the    world.     He   now  considered  (for  in  the    other   life   the 
thoughts  of  all  may  be  plainly  perceived)  what  he  must  do, 
being  deprived  of  all  means  of  subsistence ;  and  while  in  this 
state  of  anxiety  he  was  brought   into  association  with  some 
celestial  spirits  who  belonged  to  the  province  of  the  heart,  and 
who  showed  him  every  attention  that  he  could  desire.     This 
being  done,  he  was  again  left  to  himself,  and  began  to  think, 
from  charity,  how  he    might  repay  kindness  so  great,  from 
which  it  was  evident  that  while  he  had  lived  in  the  body  he 
had  been  in  the  charity  of  faith,  and  he  was  therefore  at  once 
taken  up  into  heaven. 

319.  I  saw  another  also  who  was  immediately  translated 
into  heaven  by  the  angels,  and  was  accepted  by  the  Lord  and 


N.  319]  RESUSCITATION  FROM   THE   DEAD  137 

shown  the  glory  of  heaven  ;  not  to  mention  much  other  experi- 
ence respecting  others  who  were  conveyed  to  heaven  after  some 
lapse  of  time. 


CHAPTER   THE    FOURTH. 

ON   THE    NATURE    OF    THE    LIFE    OF    THE    SOUL    OR   SPIRIT. 

320.  With  regard  to  the  general  subject  of  the  life  of  souls, 
that  is,  of  novitiate  spirits,  after  death,  I  may  state  that  much 
experience  has  shown  that  when  a  man  comes  into  the  other 
life  he  is  not  aware  that  he  is  in  that  life,  biit  supposes  that 
he  is  still  in  this  world,  and  even  that  he  is  still  in  the  body. 
So  much  is  this  the  case  that  when  told  he  is  a  spirit,  wonder 
and  amazement  possess  him,  both  because  he  finds  himself  ex- 
actly like  a  man,  in  his  senses,  desires,  and  thoughts,  and 
because  during  his  life  in  this  world  he  had  not  believed  in  the 
existence  of  the  spirit,  or,  as   is  the  case  with  some,  that  the 
spirit  could  be  what  he  now  finds  it  to  be. 

321.  A  second  general  fact  is  that  a  spirit  enjoys  much 
more  excellent  sensitive  faculties,  and  far  superior  powers  of 
thinking  and  speaking,  than  when  living  in  the  body,  so  that 
the  two  states  scarcely  admit  of  comparison,  although  spirits 
are  not  aware  of  this  until  gifted  with  reflection  by  the  Lord. 

322.  Beware  of  the  false  notion  that  spirits  do  not  possess 
far  more  exquisite  sensations  than  during  the  life  of  the  body. 
I  know  the  contrary  by  experience  repeated  thousands  of  times. 
Should  any  be  unwilling  to  believe  this,  in  consequence  of  their 
preconceived  ideas  concerning  the  nature  of  spirit,  let  them 
learn  it  by  their  own  experience  when  they  come  into  the  other 
life,  where  it  will  compel  them  to  believe.     In  the  first  place 
spirits  have  sight,  for  they  live  in  the  light,  and  good  spirits, 
angelic  spirits,  and  angels,  in  a  light  so  great  that  the  noonday 
light  of  this  world  can  hardly  be  compared  to  it.     The  light  in 
which  they  dwell,  and  by  which  they  see,  will  of  the  Lord's 
Divine  mercy  be  described  hereafter.     Spirits  also  have  hear- 
ing, hearing  so  exquisite  that  the  hearing  of  the  body  cannot 


138  GENESIS  [N.  322 

be  compared  to  it.  For  years  they  have  spoken  to  me  almost 
continually,  but  their  speech  also  will  of  the  Lord's  Divine 
mercy  be  described  hereafter.  They  have  also  the  sense  of 
smell,  which  also  will  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  be  treated 
of  hereafter.  They  have  a  most  exquisite  sense  of  touch, 
whence  come  the  pains  and  torments  endured  in  hell ;  for  all 
sensations  have  relation  to  the  touch,  of  which  they  are  merely 
diversities  and  varieties.  They  have  desires  and  affections  to 
which  those  they  had  in  the  body  cannot  be  compared,  concern- 
ing which  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  more  will  be  said  here- 
after. Spirits  think  with  much  more  clearness  and  distinctness 
than  they  had  thought  during  their  life  in  the  body.  There 
are  more  things  contained  within  a  single  idea  of  their  thought 
than  in  a  thousand  of  the  ideas  they  had  possessed  in  this 
world.  They  speak  together  with  so  much  acuteness,  subtlety, 
sagacity,  and  distinctness,  that  if  a  man  could  perceive  anything 
of  it,  it  would  excite  his  astonishment.  In  short,  they  possess 
everything  that  men  possess,  but  in  a  more  perfect  manner, 
except  the  flesh  and  bones  and  the  attendant  imperfections. 
They  acknowledge  and  perceive  that  even  while  they  lived  in 
the  body  it  was  the  spirit  that  sensated,  and  that  although  the 
faculty  of  sensation  manifested  itself  in  the  body,  still  it  was 
not  of  the  body ;  and  therefore  that  when  the  body  is  cast 
aside,  the  sensations  are  far  more  exquisite  and  perfect.  Life 
consists  in  the  exercise  of  sensation,  for  without  it  there  is  no 
life,  and  such  as  is  the  faculty  of  sensation,  such  is  the  life,  a 
fact  that  any  one  may  observe. 

323.  At  the  end  of  the  chapter,  several  examples  will  be 
given  of  those  who  during  their  abode  in  this  world  had 
thought  otherwise. 


CHAPTEE   IV. 

1.  And  the  man  knew  Eve  his  wife,  and  she  conceived,  and 
bare  Cain,  and  said,  I  have  gotten  a  man  (vir),  Jehovah. 

2.  And   she  added  to  bear  his  brother  Abel ;  and  Abel  was 
a  shepherd  of  the  flock,  and  Cain  was  a  tiller  of  the  ground. 


tf.  323]  CHAPTER   IV.  139 

3.  And  at  the  end  of  days  it  came  to  pass  that  Cain  brought 
of  the  fruit  of  the  ground  an  offering  to  Jehovah. 

4.  And  Abel,  he  also  brought  of  the  firstlings  of  his  flock, 
and  of  the  fat  thereof.     And  Jehovah  looked  to  Abel,  and  to 
his  offering : 

5.  And  unto  Cain  and  unto  his  offering  He  looked  not,  and 
Cain's  anger  was  kindled  exceedingly,  and  his  faces  fell. 

6.  And  Jehovah  said  unto  Cain,  Why  art  thou  wroth  ?  and 
why  are  thy  faces  fallen  ? 

7.  If  thou  doest  well,  art  thou  not  exalted  ?  and  if  thou 
doest  not  well,  sin  lieth  at  the  door ;  and  to  thee  is  his  desire, 
and  thou  rulest  over  him. 

8.  And  Cain  talked  to  Abel  his  brother;    and  it  came  to 
pass  when  they  were  in  the  field,  that  Cain  rose  up  against 
Abel  his  brother,  and  slew  him. 

9.  And  Jehovah  said  to  Cain,  Where  is  Abel  thy  brother  ? 
And  he  said,  I  know  not,  am  I  my  brother's  keeper  ? 

10.  And  He  said,  What  hast  thou  done  ?  the  voice  of  thy 
brother's  bloods  crieth  to  Me  from  the  ground. 

11.  And  now  art  thou  cursed  from  the  ground,  which  hath 
opened  its  mouth  to  receive  thy  brother's  bloods  from  thy  hand. 

12.  When  thou  tillest  the  ground,  it  shall  not  henceforth 
yield  unto  thee  its  strength ;  a  fugitive  and  a  wanderer  shalt 
thou  be  in  the  earth. 

13.  And  Cain  said  unto  Jehgvah,  Mine  iniquity  is  greater 
than  can  be  taken  away. 

14.  Behold,  Thou  hast  cast  me  out  this  day  from  the  faces 
of  the  ground ;  and  from  Thy  faces  shall  I  be  hid,  and  I  shall 
be  a  fugitive  and  a  wanderer  in  the  earth ;  and  it  shall  come 
to  pass  that  every  one  that  findeth  me  shall  slay  me. 

15.  And  Jehovah  said  unto  him,  Therefore  whosoever  slay- 
eth  Cain,  vengeance  shall  be  taken  on  him  sevenfold.     And 
Jehovah  set  a  mark  upon  Cain,  lest  any  finding  him  should 
smite  him. 

16.  And  Cain  went  out  from  the  faces  of  Jehovah,  and 
dwelt  in  the  land  of  Nod,  toward  the  east  of  Eden. 

17.  And  Cain  knew  his  wife,  and  she  conceived  and  bare 
Enoch ;  and  he  was  building  a  city,  and  called  the  name  of  the 
city  after  the  name  of  his  son,  Enoch. 


140  GENESIS  [N.  324 

18.  And  unto  Enoch  was  born  Irad ;  and  Irad  begat  Mehu- 
jael;  and  Mehujael  begat  Methusael;   and  Methusael  begat 
Lamech. 

19.  And  Lamech  took  unto  him  two  wives  ;  the  name  of  the 
one  was  Adah,  and  the  name  of  the  other  Zillah. 

20.  And  Adah  bare  Jabal ;  he  was  the  father  of  the  dweller 
in  tents,  and  of  cattle. 

21.  And  his  brother's  name  was  Jubal ;  he  was  the  father  of 
every  one  that  playeth  upon  the  harp  and  organ. 

22.  And  Zillah,  she  also  bare  Tubal-Cain,  an  instructor  of 
every  artificer  in  brass  and  iron  ;  and  the  sister  of  Tubal-Cain 
was  Naamah. 

23.  And  Lamech  said  unto  his  wives,  Adah  and  Zillah,  Hear 
my  voice,  ye  wives  of  Lamech,  and  with  your  ears  perceive  my 
speech,  for  I  have  slain  a  man  to  my  wounding,  and  a  little 
one  to  my  hurt. 

24.  If  Cain  shall  be  avenged  sevenfold,  truly  Lamech  sev- 
enty and  sevenfold. 

25.  And  the  man  knew  his  wife  again,  and  she  bare  a  son, 
and  called  his  name  Seth  ;  for  God  hath  appointed  me  another 
seed  instead  of  Abel ;  for  Cain  slew  him. 

26.  And  to  Seth,  to  him  also  there  was  born  a  son ;  and  he 
called  his  name  Enosh :  then  began  they  to  call  upon  the  name 
of  Jehovah. 


THE   CONTENTS. 

324.  Doctrines  separated  from  the  church,  or  heresies,  are 
here  treated  of ;  and  a  new  church  that  was  afterwards  raised 
up,  called  "  Enosh." 

325.  The  Most   Ancient   Church   had   faith  in  the  Lord 
through  love ;  but  there  arose  some  who  separated  faith  from 
love.     The  doctrine  of  faith  separated  from  love  was  called 
"  Cain ;"  and  charity,  which  is  love  toward  the  neighbor,  was 
called  "Abel"  (verses  1,  2). 

326.  The  worship  of  each  is  described,  that  of  faith  sepa- 
rated from  love,  by  the  "  offering  of  Cain ;"  and  that  of  charity, 
by  the  "  offering  of  Abel"  (verses  3,  4).     That  worship  from 


N.  326]  CONTENTS  141 

charity  was  acceptable,  but  not  worship  from  separated  faith 
(verses  4,  5). 

327.  That  the  state  of  those  who  were  of  separated  faith 
became  evil,  is  described  by  Cain's  "  anger  being  kindled,  and 
his  countenance  falling"  (verses  5,  6). 

328.  And  that  the  quality  of  the  faith  is  known  from  the 
charity ;  and  that  charity  wishes  to  be  with  faith,  if  faith  is  not 
made  the  principal,  and  is  not  exalted  above  charity  (verse  7). 

329.  That  charity  was  extinguished  in  those  who  separated 
faith,  and  set  it  before  charity,  is  described  by  "  Cain  slaying 
his  brother  Abel"  (verses  8,  9). 

330.  Charity  extinguished  is  called  the  "  voice  of  bloods" 
(verse  10) ;  perverted  doctrine,  the  "  curse  from  the  ground" 
(verse  11) ;  the  falsity  and  evil  originating  thence,  the  "  fugi- 
tive and  wanderer  in  the  earth"  (verse  12).     And  as  they 
had  averted  themselves  from  the  Lord,  they  were  in  danger 
of  eternal  death  (verses  13,  14).     But  as  it  was  through  faith 
that  charity  would  afterwards  be  implanted,  faith  was  made 
inviolable,  and  this  is  signified  by  the  "  mark  set  upon  Cain" 
(verse  15).     And  its  removal  from  its  former  position  is  de- 
noted by  "  Cain  dwelling  toward  the  east  of  Eden"  (verse  16). 

331.  The  amplification  of  this   heresy  is  called  "Enoch" 
(verse  17). 

332.  The  heresies  that  sprang  from  this  one  are  also  called 
by  their  names,  in  the  last  of  which,  called  "  Lamech,"  there 
was  nothing  of  faith  remaining  (verse  18). 

333.  A  new  church  then  arose,  which  is  meant  by  "Adah 
and  Zillah,"  and  is  described  by  their  sons  "  Jabal,"  "  Jubal," 
and  "  Tubal-Cain ; "   the    celestial   things    of  the    church   by 
"  Jabal,"  the  spiritual  by  "  Jubal,"  and  the  natural  by  "  Tubal- 
Cain"  (verses  19  to  22). 

334.  That  this  church  arose  when  everything  of  faith  and 
charity  was  extinguished,  and  had  violence  done  to  it,  which 
was  in  the  highest  degree  sacrilegious,  is   described   (verses 
23,  24). 

335.  A  summary  of  the  subject  is  given:  that  after  faith, 
signified   by  "Cain,"  had  extinguished  charity,  a  new  faith 
was  given  by  the  Lord,  whereby  charity  was  implanted.     This 
faith  is  called  «  Seth"  (verse  25). 


142  GENESIS  [N.  336 

336.  The  charity  implanted  by  faith  is  called  "Enosh,"  or 
another  "man"  (homo),  which  is  the  name  of  that  church 
(verse  26). 


THE   INTEBNAL   SENSE. 

337.  As  this  chapter  treats  of  the  degeneration  of  the 
Most  Ancient  Church,  or  the  falsification  of  its  doctrine,  and 
consequently  of  its  heresies  and  sects,  under  the  names  of 
Cain  and  his  descendants,  it  is  to  be  observed  that  there  is  no 
possibility  of  understanding  how  doctrine  was  falsified,  or 
what  was  the  nature  of  the  heresies  and  sects  of  that  church, 
unless  the  nature  of  the  true  church  be  rightly  understood. 
Enough  has  been  said  above  concerning  the  Most  Ancient 
Church,  showing  that  it  was  a  celestial  man,  and  that  it  ac- 
knowledged no  other  faith  than  that  which  was  of  love  to  the 
Lord  and  toward  the  neighbor.  Through  this  love  they  had 
faith  from  the  Lord,  or  a  perception  of  all  the  things  that 
belonged  to  faith,  and  for  this  reason  they  were  unwilling  to 
mention  faith,  lest  it  should  be  separated  from  love,  as  was 
shown  above  (n.  200,  203).  [2]  Such  is  the  celestial  man, 
and  such  he  is  described  by  representatives  in  David,  where 
the  Lord  is  spoken  of  as  the  king,  and  the  celestial  man  as  the 
king's  son : — 

Give  the  king  Thy  judgments,  and  Thy  righteousness  to  the  king's 
son.  The  mountains  shall  bring  peace  to  the  people,  and  the  hills  in 
righteousness.  They  shall  fear  Thee  with  the  sun,  and  toward  the  faces 
of  the  moon,  generation  of  generations.  In  his  days  shall  the  righteous 
nourish,  and  abundance  of  peace,  until  there  be  no  moon  (Ixxii.  1,  3,  5,  7). 

By  the  "  sun"  is  signified  love ;  by  the  "  moon,"  faith ;  by 
"mountains"  and  "hills,"  the  Most  Ancient  Church;  by 
"  generation  of  generations,"  the  churches  after  the  flood ; 
"  until  there  be  no  moon,"  is  said  because  faith  shall  be  love. 
(See  also  what  is  said  in  Isaiah  xxx.  26.)  [3]  Such  was  the 
Most  Ancient  Church,  and  such  was  its  doctrine.  But  the 
case  is  far  different  at  this  day,  for  now  faith  takes  precedence 
of  charity,  but  still  through  faith  charity  is  given  by  the 
Lord,  and  then  charity  becomes  the  principal.  It  follows  from 


M.  337]  CHAPTER  IV.  VER.  1  143 

this  that  in  the  most  ancient  time  doctrine  was  falsified  when 
they  made  confession  of  faith,  and  thus  separated  it  from  love. 
Those  who  falsified  doctrine  in  this  way,  or  separated  faith 
from  love,  or  made  confession  of  faith  alone,  were  then  called 
"  Cain ;"  and  such  a  thing  was  then  regarded  as  an  enormity. 

338.  Verse  1.  And  the  man  knew  Eve  his  wife,  and  she  con- 
ceived, and  bare  Cain,  and  said,  I  have  gotten  a  man  (vir),  Je- 
hovah.    By  the  "  man  and  Eve  his  wife"  is  signified  the  Most 
Ancient  Church,  as  has  been  made  known ;  its  first  offspring, 
or  firstborn,  is  faith,  which  is  here  called  "  Cain ;"  her  saying 
"I  have  gotten  a  man,  Jehovah,"  signifies  that  with  those 
called  "  Cain,"  faith  was  recognized  and  acknowledged  as  a 
thing  by  itself. 

339.  In  the  three  foregoing  chapters  it  has  been  sufficiently 
shown  that  by  the  "  man  and  his  wife"  is  signified  the  Most 
Ancient  Church,  so  that  it  cannot  be  doubted,  and  this  being 
admitted,  it  is  evident  that   the  conception  and   the  birth 
effected  by  that  church  were  of  the  nature  we  have  indicated. 
It  was  customary  with  the  most  ancient  people  to  give  names, 
and  by  names  to  signify  things,  and  thus  frame  a  genealogy. 
For  the  things  of  the  church  are  related  to  each  other  in  this 
way,  one  being  conceived  and  born  of  another,  as  in  genera- 
tion.    Hence  it  is  common  in  the  Word  to  call  things  of  the 
church  "  conceptions,"  "  births,"  "  offspring,"  "  infants,"  "  little 
ones,"  "  sons,"  "  daughters,"  "  young  men,"  and  so  on.     The 
prophetical  parts  of  the  Word  abound  in  such  expressions. 

340.  That  the  words  "  I  have  gotten  a  man,  Jehovah,"  sig- 
nify that  with  such  as  are  called  "  Cain"  faith  is  recognized 
and  acknowledged  as  a  thing  by  itself,  is  evident  from  what  was 
said  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter.     Previously,  they  had 
been  as  it  were  ignorant  of  what  faith  is,  because  they  had  a 
perception  of  all  the  things  of  faith.    But  when  they  began  to 
make  a  distinct  doctrine  of  faith,  they  took  the  things  they 
had  a  perception  of  and  reduced  them  into  doctrine,  calling 
it  "  I  have  gotten  a  man,  Jehovah,"  as  if  they  had  found  out 
something  new ;  and  thus  what  was  before  inscribed  on  the 
heart  became  a  mere  matter  of  knowing.    In  ancient  times  they 
gave  every  new  thing  a  name,  and  in  this  way  set  forth  the 
things  involved  in  the  names.     Thus  the  signification  of  the 


144  GENESIS  [N.  340 

name  Ishmael  is  explained  by  the  saying,  "Jehovah  hath 
heard  her  affliction''  (Gen.  xvi.  11)  ;  that  of  Reuben,  by  the 
expression,  "Jehovah  hath  looked  upon  my  affliction"  (Gen. 
xxix.  32) ;  the  name  Simeon,  by  the  saying,  "  Jehovah  hath 
heard  that  I  was  less  dear"  (Gen.  xxix.  33);  and  that  of 
Judah  by,  "  This  time  will  I  praise  Jehovah"  (verse  35) ;  and 
an  altar  built  by  Moses  was  called,  "  Jehovah  my  banner" 
(Exod.  xvii.  15).  In  like  manner  the  doctrine  of  faith  is  here 
denominated  "  I  have  gotten  a  man,  Jehovah,"  or  "  Cain." 

341.  Verse  2.   And  she  added  to  bear  his  brother  Abel ;  and 
Abel  was  a  shepherd  of  the  flock,  and  Cain  was  a  tiller  of  the 
ground.     The  second  offspring  of  the  church  is  charity,  signi- 
fied by  "  Abel"  and  "  brother ;"  a  "  shepherd  of  the  flock,"  de- 
notes one  who  exercises  the  good  of  charity  ;  and  a. "  tiller  of 
the  ground,"  is  one  who  is  devoid  of  charity,  however  much 
he  may  be  in  faith  separated  from  love,  which  is  no  faith. 

342.  That  the  second  offspring  of  the  church  is  charity,  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  the  church  conceives  and  brings 
forth  nothing  else  than  faith  and  charity.     The  same  is  signi- 
fied by  the  first  children  of    Leah  from  Jacob ;    "  Reuben" 
denoting  faith ;  "  Simeon,"  faith  in  act ;  and  "  Levi,"  charity 
(Gen.  xxix.  32,  33,  34),  wherefore  also  the  tribe  of  Levi  re- 
ceived the  priesthood,  and  represented  the  "  shepherd  of  the 
flock."     As  charity  is  the  second  offspring  of  the  church,  it  is 
called  "  brother,"  and  is  named  "  Abel." 

343.  That  a  "shepherd  of  the  flock"  is  one  who  exercises 
the  good  of  charity,  must  be  obvious  to  every  one,  for  this  is  a 
familiar  figure  in  the  Word  of  both  Old  and  New  Testaments. 
He  who  leads  and  teaches  is  called  a  "  shepherd,"  and  those 
who  are  led  and  taught  are  called  the  "  flock."     He  who  does 
not  lead  to  the  good  of  charity  and  teach  it,  is  not  a  true  shep- 
herd ;  and  he  who  is  not  led  to  good,  and  does  not  learn  what 
is  good,  is  not  of  the  flock.     It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  confirm 
this  signification  of   "  shepherd"  and  "  flock"  by  quotations 
from  the  Word ;  but  the  following  passages  may  be  cited.     In 
Isaiah : — 

The  Lord  shall  give  the  rain  of  thy  seed,  wherewith  thou  sowest  the 
ground,  and  bread  of  the  increase  of  the  ground  ;  in  that  day  shall  He 
feed  thy  cattle  in  a  broad  meadow  (xxx.  23), 


N.  343]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  2  145 

where  "  bread  of  the  increase  of  the  ground,"  denotes  charity. 
Again  : — 

The  Lord  Jehovih  shall  feed  His  flock  like  a  shepherd  ;  He  shall  gather 
the  lambs  into  His  arm,  and  carry  them  in  His  bosom,  and  shall  gently 
lead  those  that  are  with  young  (xl.  11). 

In  David: — 

Give  ear,  O  Shepherd  of  Israel,  Thou  that  leadest  Joseph  like  a  flock  ; 
Thou  that  sittest  on  the  cherubim,  shine  forth  (Ps.  Ixxx.  1). 

In  Jeremiah : — 

I  have  likened  the  daughter  of  Zion  to  a  comely  and  delicate  woman  ; 
the  shepherds  and  their  flocks  shall  come  unto  her,  they  shall  pitch  tents 
near  her  round  about,  they  shall  feed  every  one  his  own  space  (vi.  2,  3). 

In  Ezekiel : — 

Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovih,  I  will  multiply  them  as  a  flock  of  man, 
as  a  hallowed  flock,  as  the  flock  of  Jerusalem  in  her  appointed  times  ;  so 
shall  the  waste  cities  be  tilled  with  the  flock  of  man  (xxxvi.  37,  38). 

In  Isaiah : — 

All  the  flocks  of  Arabia  shall  be  gathered  together  unto  thee,  the  rains 
of  Nebaioth  shall  minister  unto  thee  (Ix.  7). 

They  who  lead  the  flock  to  the  good  of  charity  are  they  who 
"  gather  the  flock ;"  but  they  who  do  not  lead  them  to  the  good 
of  charity  "  scatter  the  flock ;"  for  all  gathering  together  and 
union  are  of  charity,  and  all  dispersion  and  disunion  are  from 
want  of  charity. 

344.  What   avails    faith,  that   is,   the    memory-knowledge 
(scientia),  the  knowledge  (cognitio),  and  the  doctrine  of  faith, 
but  that  the  man  may  become  such  as  faith  teaches  ?     And 
the  primary  thing  that  it  teaches  is  charity  (Mark  xii.  28—35  ; 
Matt.  xxii.  34-39).     This  is  the  end  of  all  it  has  in  view,  and 
if  this  be  not  attained,  what  is  all  knowledge  or  doctrine  but  a 
mere  empty  nothing  ? 

345.  That  a  "tiller  of  the  ground"  is  one  who  is  devoid  of 
charity,  however  much  he  may  be  in  faith  separated  from  love, 
which  is  no  faith,  is  evident  from  what  follows  :  that  Jehovah 
had  no  respect  to  his  offering,  and  that  he  slew  his  brother, 
that  is,  destroyed  charity,  signified  by  "Abel."     Those  were 
said  to  "  till  the  ground"  who  look  to  bodily  and  earthly  things, 

VOL.  I.— 10 


146  GENESIS  [N.  345 

as  is  evident  from  what  is  said  in  Gen.  iii.  19, 23,  where  we  read 
that  the  man  was  "  cast  out  of  the  garden  of  Eden  to  till  the 
ground." 

346.  Verse  3.  And  at  the  end  of  days  it  came  to  pass  that 
Cain  brought  of  the  fruit  of  the  ground  an  offering  to  Jehovah. 
By  the  "  end  of  days"  is  meant  in  process  of  time ;  by  the 
"  fruit  of  the  ground,"  the  works  of  faith  without  charity ;  and 
by  "an  offering  to  Jehovah,"  worship  thence  derived. 

347.  That  by  the  "end  of  days"  is  signified  in  process 
of  time,  is  evident  to  all.     At  first,  and  while  there  was  sim- 
plicity in  it,  the  doctrine  here  called  "  Cain"  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  so  unacceptable  as  it  became  afterwards,  as  is  evi- 
dent from  the  fact  that  they  called  their  offspring  a  "  man 
Jehovah."     Thus  at  first  faith  was  not  so  far  separated  from 
love  as  at  the  "  end  of  days,"  or  in  process  of  time ;  as  is  wont 
to  be  the  case  with  every  doctrine  of  true  faith. 

348.  That    by  the  "  fruit  of   the  ground"  are   meant   the 
works  of   faith  without  charity,  appears  also  from  what  fol- 
lows ;  for  the  works  of  faith  devoid  of  charity  are  works  of  no 
faith,  being  in  themselves  dead,  for  they  are  solely  of  the  ex- 
ternal man.     Of  such  it  is  written  in  Jeremiah : — 

Wherefore  doth  the  way  of  the  wicked  prosper  ?  Thou  hast  planted 
them,  they  also  have  taken  root ;  they  have  gone  on,  they  also  bear  fruit ; 
Thou  art  near  in  their  mouth,  and  far  from  their  reins  ;  how  long  shall 
the  land  mourn,  and  the  herb  of  every  field  wither  ?  (xii.  1,  2,  4). 

"  Near  in  the  mouth,  but  far  from  the  reins,"  denotes  those 
who  are  of  faith  separated  from  charity,  concerning  whom  it  is 
said  that  "  the  land  mourns."  In  the  same  Prophet  such  works 
are  called  the  "  fruit  of  works  :"- 

The  heart  is  deceitful  (supplantativum)  above  all  things,  and  it  is  des- 
perate, who  can  know  it  ?  I  Jehovah  search  the  heart,  I  try  the  reins, 
even  to  give  to  every  man  according  to  his  ways,  and  according  to  the 
fruit  of  his  works  (Jer.  xvii.  9,  10). 

In  Micah : — 

The  land  shall  be  desolate  because  of  them  that  dwell  therein,  for  the 
fruit  of  their  works  (vii.  13). 

That  such  "  fruit"  is  no  fruit,  or  that  the  "  work"  is  dead,  and 
that  both  fruit  and  root  perish,  is  thus  declared  in  Amos : — 


N.  348]  CHAPTER  IV.  VER.  3  147 

I  destroyed  the  Amorite  before  them,  whose  height  was  like  the  height 
of  the  cedars,  and  he  was  strong  as  the  oaks ;  yet  I  destroyed  his  fruit 
from  above,  and  his  roots  from  beneath  (ii.  9). 

And  in  David : — 

Their  fruit  shalt  Thou  destroy  from  the  earth,  and  their  seed  from  the 
sons  of  man  (Ps.  xxi.  10). 

But  the  works  of  charity  are  living,  and  of  them  it  is  declared 
that  they  "  take  root  downward,  and  bear  fruit  upward ;"  as  in 
Isaiah : — 

The  remnant  that  is  escaped  of  the  house  of  Judah  shall  again  take 
root  downward,  and  bear  fruit  upward  (xxxvii.  31). 

To  "  bear  fruit  upward,"  is  to  act  from  charity.  Such  fruit  is 
called  the  "  fruit  of  excellence,"  in  the  same  Prophet : — 

In  that  day  shall  the  shoot  of  Jehovah  be  beautiful  and  glorious,  and 
the  fruit  of  the  earth  excellent  and  comely  for  them  that  are  escaped  of 
Israel  (Isa.  iv.  2). 

It  is  also  the  "  fruit  of  salvation,"  and  is  so  called  by  the  same 
Prophet : — 

Drop  down,  ye  heavens,  from  above,  and  let  the  skies  pour  down 
righteousness  ;  let  the  earth  open,  and  let  them  bring  forth  the  fruit  of 
salvation,  and  let  righteousness  spring  up  together  ;  I  Jehovah  will  create 
it  (Isa.  xlv.  8). 

349.  That  by  an  "offering"  is  meant  worship,  is  evident 
from  the  representatives  of  the  Jewish  Church,  in  which,  sacri- 
fices of  every  kind,  as  well  as  the  first  fruits  of  the  earth  and  of 
all  its  produce,  and  the  oblation  of  the  firstborn,  were  called 
"  offerings,"  in  Avhich  their  worship  consisted.  And  as  they  all 
represented  heavenly  things,  and  all  had  reference  to  the  Lord, 
it  must  be  obvious  to  every  one  that  true  worship  was  signified 
by  these  offerings.  For  what  is  a  representative  without  the 
thing  it  represents  ?  or  what  is  an  external  religion  without  an 
internal  but  a  kind  of  idol  and  a  thing  of  death  ?  The  external 
has  life  from  things  internal,  that  is,  through  these  from  the 
Lord.  From  these  considerations  it  is  evident  that  all  the 
offerings  of  a  representative  church  signify  the  worship  of  the 
Lord ;  and  concerning  these  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  we 
shall  treat  in  particular  in  the  following  pages.  That  by 


148  GENESIS  [N.  349 

"offerings"  in  general  is  meant  worship,  is  evident  in  the 
Prophets  throughout,  as  in  Malachi : — 

Who  shall  abide  the  day  of  His  coming  ?  He  shall  sit  as  a  refiner 
and  purifier  of  silver,  and  He  shall  purify  the  sons  of  Levi,  and  purge 
them  as  gold  and  silver,  and  they  shall  offer  unto  Jehovah  an  offering  in 
righteousness.  Then  shall  the  offering  of  Judah  and  of  Jerusalem  be 
pleasant  unto  Jehovah,  as  in  the  days  of  eternity,  and  as  in  ancient  years 
(iii.  2,  3,  4). 

An  "  offering  in  righteousness"  is  an  internal  offering,  which 
the  "  sons  of  Levi,"  that  is,  holy  worshipers,  will  offer.  The 
"  days  of  eternity,"  signify  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  and  the 
"  ancient  years,"  the  Ancient  Church.  In  Ezekiel : — 

In  the  mountain  of  My  holiness,  in  the  mountain  of  the  height  of 
Israel,  there  shall  all  the  house  of  Israel,  all  that  land,  worship  Me  ;  there 
will  I  accept  them,  and  there  will  I  require  your  oblations,  and  the  first- 
fruits  of  your  offerings,  in  all  your  sanctify  ings  (xx.  40). 

"  Oblations,"  and  the  "  first  fruits  of  the  offerings  in  the  sancti- 
fyings,"  are  likewise  works  sanctified  by  charity  from  the  Lord. 
In  Zephaniah : — 

From  beyond  the  rivers  of  Ethiopia  My  suppliants  shall  bring  Mine 
offering  (iii.  10). 

"  Ethiopia"  denotes  those  who  are  in  possession  of  celestial 
things,  which  are  love,  charity,  and  the  works  of  charity. 

350.  Verse  4.  And  Abel,  he  also  brought  of  the  firstlings  of 
his  flock,  and  of  the  fat  thereof ;   and  Jehovah  looked  to  Abel, 
and  to  his  offering.     By  "  Abel"  here  as  before  is  signified 
charity ;  and  by  the  "  firstlings  of  the  flock"  is  signified  that 
which  is  holy,  which  is  of  the  Lord  alone ;  by  "  fat"  is  signi- 
fied the  celestial  itself,  which  also  is  of  the  Lord ;  and  by  "  Je- 
hovah looking  unto  Abel,  and  to  his  offering,"  that  the  things 
of  charity,  and  all  worship  grounded  in  charity,  were  well- 
pleasing  to  the  Lord. 

351.  That  "Abel"  signifies  charity  has  been  shown  before. 
By  charity  is  meant  love  toward  the  neighbor,  and  mercy  ;  for 
he  who  loves  his  neighbor  as  himself  is  also  compassionate 
toward  him  in  his  sufferings,  as  toward  himself. 

352.  That  the  "firstlings  of  the  flock"  signify  that  which 
is  of  the  Lord  alone,  is  evident  from  the  firstlings  or  firstborn 


N.  352]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  4  143 

in  the  representative  church,  which  were  all  holy,  because  they 
had  relation  to  the  Lord,  who  alone  is  the  "  firstborn."  Love 
and  the  faith  thence  derived  are  the  "  firstborn."  All  love  is 
of  the  Lord,  and  not  one  whit  of  it  is  of  man,  therefore  the 
Lord  alone  is  the  "  firstborn."  This  was  represented  in  the 
ancient  churches  by  the  firstborn  of  man  arid  of  beast  being 
sacred  to  Jehovah  (Exod.  xiii.  2,  12,  15) ;  and  by  the  tribe  of 
Levi,  which  in  the  internal  sense  signifies  love — though  Levi 
was  born  after  Reuben  and  Simeon  who  in  the  internal  sense 
signify  faith — being  accepted  instead  of  all  the  firstborn,  and 
constituting  the  priesthood  (Num.  iii.  40-45 ;  viii.  14-20).  Of 
the  Lord  as  the  firstborn  of  all,  with  respect  to  His  human 
essence,  it  is  thus  written  in  David : — 

He  shall  call  Me,  My  Father,  My  God,  and  the  rock  of  My  salvation. 
I  will  also  make  Him  My  firstborn,  high  above  the  kings  of  the  earth 
(Ps.  Ixxxix.  26,  27). 

And  in  John : — 

Jesus  Christ  the  firstborn  of  the  dead,  and  the  prince  of  the  kings  of 
the  earth  (Rev.  i.  5). 

Observe  that  the  firstborn  of  worship  signify  the  Lord,  and 
the  firstborn  of  the  church,  faith. 

353.  By  "fat"  is  signified  the  celestial  itself,  which  is  also 
of  the  Lord.  The  celestial  is  all  that  which  is  of  love.  Faith 
also  is  celestial  when  it  is  from  love.  Charity  is  the  celestial. 
All  the  good  of  charity  is  the  celestial.  All  these  were  repre- 
sented  by  the  various  kinds  of  fat  in  the  sacrifices,  and  distinc- 
tively by  that  which  covered  the  liver,  or  the  caul ;  by  the  fat 
upon  the  kidneys  ;  by  the  fat  covering  the  intestines,  and  upon 
the  intestines  ;  which  were  holy,  and  were  offered  up  as  burnt- 
offerings  upon  the  altar  (Exod.  xxix.  13,  22 ;  Lev.  iii.  3,  4, 14 ; 
iv.  8,  9,  19,  26,  31,  35  ;  viii.  16,  25).  They  were  therefore 
called  the  "  bread  of  the  offering  by  fire  for  a  rest  unto  Je- 
hovah" (Lev.  iii.  14,  16).  For  the  same  reason  the  Jewish 
people  were  forbidden  to  eat  any  of  the  fat  of  the  beasts  by 
what  is  called  "  a  perpetual  statute  throughout  your  genera- 
tions" (Lev.  iii.  17  ;  vii.  23, 25).  This  was  because  that  church 
was  such  that  it  did  not  even  acknowledge  internal,  much  less 
celestial  things.  [2]  That  "  fat"  signifies  celestial  things,  and 


150  GENESIS  [N.  353 

the  goods  of  charity,  is  evident  in  the  Prophets ;  as  in  Isa- 
iah:— 

Wherefore  do  ye  weigh  silver  for  that  which  is  not  bread  ?  and  your 
labor  for  that  which  satisfieth  not  ?  Attend  ye  diligently  unto  Me,  and 
eat  ye  that  which  is  good,  and  let  your  soul  delight  itself  in  fatness 
(Iv.  2). 

And  in  Jeremiah : — 

I  will  fill  the  soul  of  the  priests  with  fatness,  and  My  people  shall  be 
satiated  with  My  good  (xxxi.  14), 

where  it  is  very  evident  that  fatness  is  not  meant,  but  celestial 
spiritual  good.  So  in  David  ; — 

They  are  filled  with  the  fatness  of  Thy  house,  and  Thou  makest  them 
drink  of  the  river  of  Thy  deliciousnesses.  For  with  Thee  is  the  fountain 
of  lives  ;  in  Thy  light  we  see  light  (Ps.  xxxvi.  8,  9). 

Here  "  fatness"  and  the  "  fountain  of  lives"  signify  the  celes- 
tial, which  is  of  love ;  and  the  "  river  of  deliciousnesses,"  and 
"  light,"  the  spiritual,  which  is  of  faith  from  love.  Again  in 
David  : — 

My  soul  shall  be  satiated  with  marrow  and  fatness,  and  my  mouth 
shall  praise  Thee  with  lips  of  songs  (Ps.  Ixiii.  5), 

where  in  like  manner  "  fat"  denotes  the  celestial,  and  "  lips  of 
songs"  the  spiritual.  That  it  is  what  is  celestial  is  very  evi- 
dent, because  it  will  satiate  the  soul.  For  the  same  reason  the 
first  fruits,  which  were  the  firstborn  of  the  earth,  are  called 
"  fat"  (Num.  xviii.  12).  [3]  As  celestial  things  are  of  innu- 
merable genera,  and  still  more  innumerable  species,  they  are 
described  in  general  in  the  song  which  Moses  recited  before 
the  people : — 

Butter  of  kine,  and  milk  of  the  flock,  with  fat  of  lambs  and  of  rams, 
the  sons  of  Bashan,  and  of  goats,  with  the  fat  of  the  kidneys  of  wheat ; 
and  thou  shalt  drink  the  blood  of  the  grape,  unmixed  (Deut.  xxxii.  14). 

It  is  impossible  for  any  one  to  know  the  signification  of  these 
expressions  except  from  the  internal  sense.  Without  the  inter- 
nal sense,  such  expressions  as  the  "  butter  of  kine,"  the  "  milk 
of  sheep,"  the  "  fat  of  lambs,"  the  "  fat  of  rams  and  goats,"  the 
"  sons  of  Bashan,"  the  "  fat  of  the  kidneys  of  wheat,"  and  the 
"blood  of  the  grape,"  would  be  words  and  nothing  more,  and  yet 
they  all  and  each  signify  genera  and  species  of  celestial  things. 


ST.  354]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  4  151 

354.  That  "  Jehovah  looked  to  Abel,  and  to  his  offering," 
signifies  that  the  things  of  charity,  and  all  worship  grounded 
therein,  are  pleasing  to  the  Lord,  has  been  explained  before,  as 
regards  both  "  Abel,"  and  his  "  offering." 

355.  Verse  5.  But  to  Cain  and  his  offering  He  looked  not ; 
and  Cain's  anger  was  kindled  exceedingly,  and  his  faces  fell. 
By  "  Cain,"  as  has  been  stated,  is  signified  faith  separated  from 
love,  or  such  a  doctrine  as  admits  of  the  possibility  of  this  sepa- 
ration ;  by  his  "  offering  not  being  looked  to,"  is  signified  as  be- 
fore that  his  worship  was  unacceptable.  By  "  Cain's  anger  being 
kindled  exceedingly,  and  his  faces  falling,"  is  signified  that  the 
interiors  were  changed.     By  "  anger"  is  denoted  that  charity 
had  departed;  and  by  the  "faces,"  the  interiors,  which  are 
said  to  "  fall"  when  they  are  changed. 

356.  That  by  "Cain"  is  signified  faith  separated  from  love, 
or  a  doctrine  that  admits  of  this  separation;  and  that  "  to  his 
offering  He  looked  not,"  signifies  that  his  worship  was  not  ac- 
ceptable, has  been  shown  before. 

357.  That  "  Cain's  anger  was  kindled"  signifies  that  charity 
had  departed,  is  evident  from  what  is  afterwards  related  of 
his  killing  his  brother  Abel,   by   whom  is  signified  charity. 
Anger  is  a  general  affection  resulting  from  whatever  is  opposed 
to  self-love  and  its  cupidities.     This  is  plainly  perceived  in  the 
world  of  evil  spirits,  for  there  exists  there  a  general  anger 
against  the  Lord,  in  consequence  of  evil  spirits  being  in  no 
charity,  but  in  hatred,  and  whatever  does  not  favor  self-love 
(amori  proprio)  and  the  love  of  the  world,  excites  opposition, 
which  is  manifested  by  anger.  In  the  Word,  "  anger,"  "  wrath," 
and  even  "  fury,"  are  frequently  predicated  of  Jehovah,  but 
they  are  of  man,  and  are  attributed  to  Jehovah  because  it  so 
appears,  for  a  reason  mentioned  above.     Thus  it  is  written  in 
David : — 

He  sent  against  them  the  anger  of  His  nostril,  and  wrath,  and  fury, 
and  trouble,  and  an  immission  of  evil  angels  ;  He  hath  weighed  a  path 
for  His  anger,  He  withheld  not  their  soul  from  death  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  49,  50). 

Not  that  Jehovah  ever  sends  anger  upon  any  one,  but  that  men 
bring  it  upon  themselves  ;  nor  does  He  send  evil  angels  among 
them,  but  man  draws  them  to  himself.  And  therefore  it  is 


152  GENESIS  [N.  857 

added,  that  He  "  hath  weighed  a  path  for  His  anger,  and  with- 
held not  their  soul  from  death;"  and  therefore  it  is  said  in 
Isaiah,  "  To  Jehovah  shall  he  come,  and  all  that  were  incensed 
against  Him  shall  be  ashamed"  (xlv.  24),  whence  it  is  evident 
that  "  anger"  signifies  evils,  or  what  is  the  same,  a  departure 
from  charity. 

358.  That  by  the  "  faces  falling"  is  signified  that  the  inte- 
riors were  changed,  is  evident   from   the  signification  of  the 
"  face"  and  of  its  "  falling."  The  face,  with  the  ancients,  signi- 
fied internal  things,  because  internal  things  shine  forth  through 
the  face;  and  in  the  most  ancient  times  men  were  such  that 
the  face  was  in  perfect  accord  with  the  internals,  so  that  from 
a  man's  face  every  one  could  see  of  what  disposition  or  mind 
he  was.     They  considered  it  a  monstrous  thing  to  show  one 
thing  by  the  face  and  think  another.     Simulation  and  deceit 
were   then   considered   detestable,  and  therefore   the  things 
within  were  signified  by  the  face.     When  charity  shone  forth 
from  the  face,  the  face  was  said  to  be  "  lifted  up ;"  and  when 
the  contrary  occurred,  the  face  was  said  to  "  fall ;"  wherefore 
it  is  also  predicated  of  the  Lord  that  He  "  lifts  up  His  faces 
upon  man,"  as  in  the  benediction  (Num.  vi.  26 ;  and  in  Ps.  iv. 
6),  by  which  is  signified  that  the  Lord  gives  charity  to  man. 
What  is  meant  by  the  "  face  falling,"  appears  from  Jeremiah : — 

I  will  not  make  My  face  to  fall  toward  you,  for  I  am  merciful,  saith 
Jehovah  (iii.  12). 

The  "  face  of  Jehovah"  is  mercy,  and  when  He  "  lifts  up  His 
face"  upon  any  one,  it  signifies  that  out  of  mercy  He  gives 
him  charity ;  and  the  reverse  when  He  "  makes  the  face  to 
fall,"  that  is,  when  man's  face  falls. 

359.  Verse  6.  And  Jehovah  said  unto  Cain,  Why  is  thine 
anger  kindled  ?  and  why  are  thy  faces  fallen  ?     "  Jehovah 
said  unto  Cain,"  means  that  conscience  dictated;    that  his 
"  anger  was  kindled,  and  that  his  countenance  fell,"  signifies 
as  before  that  charity  had  departed,  and  that  the  interiors 
were  changed. 

360.  That  "  Jehovah  said  unto  Cain"  means  that  conscience 
dictated,  needs  no  confirmation,  as  a  similar  passage  was  ex- 
plained above. 


N.  361]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  7  153 

361.  Verse  7.  //'  thou  doest  well,  is  there  not  an  uplifting? 
and  if  tkou  doest  not  well,  sin  lieth  at  the  door  ;  and  to  thee  is 
his  desire,  and  thou  rulest  over  him.     "  If  thou  doest  well,  an 
uplifting,"  signifies  that  if  thou  art  well  disposed  thou  hast 
charity ;  "  if  thou  doest  not  well,  sin  lieth  at  the  door/'  signi- 
fies that  if  thou  art  not  well  disposed  thou  hast  no  charity,  but 
evil.     "  To  thee  is  his  desire,  and  thou  rulest  over  him/'  signi- 
fies that  charity  is  desirous  to  be  with  thee,  but  cannot  because 
thou  desirest  to  rule  over  it. 

362.  The  doctrine  of  faith  called  "  Cain"  is  here  described, 
which  in  consequence  of  separating  faith  from  love,  separated 
it  also  from  charity,  the  offspring  of  love.     Wherever  there  is 
any  church,  there  arise  heresies,  because  while  men  are  intent 
on  some  particular  article  of  faith  they  make  that  the  main 
thing ;  for  such  is  the  nature  of  man's  thought  that  while  in- 
tent on  some  one  thing  he  sets  it  before  any  other,  especially 
when  his  imagination  claims  it  as  a  discovery  of  his  own,  and 
when  the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world  puff  him  up.     Everything 
then  seems  to  agree  with  and  confirm  it,  until  at  last  he  will 
swear  that  it  is  so,  even  if  it  is  false.     Just  in  this  way  those 
called  "  Cain"  made  faith  more  essential  than  love,  and  as  they 
consequently  lived  without  love,  both  the  love  of  self  and  the 
phantasy  thence  derived  conspired  to  confirm  them  in  it. 

363.  The  nature  of  the  doctrine  of  faith  that  was  called 
"  Cain,"  is  seen  from  the  description  of  it  in  this  verse,  from 
which  it  appears  that  charity  was  capable  of  being  joined  to 
faith,  but  so  that  charity  and  not  faith  should  have  the  do- 
minion.    On  this  account  it  is  first  said,  "  If  thou  doest  well 
art  thou  not  uplifted  ?"  signifying,  If  thou  art  well  disposed, 
charity  may  be  present;    for  to  "do  well"  signifies,  in  the 
internal  sense,  to  be  well  disposed,  since  doing  what  is  good 
comes  from  willing  what  is  good.     In  ancient  times  action  and 
will  made  a  one ;  from  the  action  they  saw  the  will,  dissimu- 
lation being  then  unknown.      That  an  "  uplifting"  signifies 
that  charity  is  present,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  already 
said  about  the  face,  that  to  "lift  up  the  face"  is   to  have 
charity,  and  that  for  the  "  face  to  fall"  is  the  contrary. 

364.  Secondly,  it  is  said,  "  If  thou  doest  not  well,  sin  lieth  at 
the  door,"  which  signifies,  If  thou  art  not  well  disposed,  there 


154  GENESIS  [N.  364 

is  no  charity  present,  but  evil.  Everybody  can  see  that  "  sin 
lying  at  the  door"  is  evil  ready  and  desirous  to  enter ;  for  when 
there  is  no  charity  there  are  unmercifulness  and  hatred,  con- 
sequently all  evil.  Sin  in  general  is  called  the  "  devil,"  who, 
that  is,  his  crew  of  infernals,  is  ever  at  hand  when  man  is  des- 
titute of  charity  ;  and  the  only  means  of  driving  away  the  devil 
and  his  crew  from  the  door  of  the  mind,  is  love  to  the  Lord 
and  toward  the  neighbor. 

365.  In  the  third  place  it  is  said,  "Unto  thee  is  his  desire, 
and  thou  rulest  over  him,"  by  which  is  signified  that  charity  is 
desirous  to  abide  with  faith,  but  cannot  do  so  because  faith 
wishes  to  rule  over  it,  which  is  contrary  to  order.     So  long  as 
faith  seeks  to  have  the  dominion,  it  is  not  faith,  and  only  be- 
comes faith  when  charity  rules  ;  for  charity  is  the  principal  of 
faith,  as  was  shown  above.    Charity  may  be  compared  to  flame, 
which  is  the  essential  of  heat  and  light,  for  heat  and  light  are 
from  it ;  and  faith  in  a  state  of  separation  may  be  compared 
to  light  that  is  without  the  heat  of  flame,  when  indeed  there  is 
light,  but  it  is  the  light  of  winter  in  which  everything  becomes 
torpid  and  dies. 

366.  Verse  8.  And  Cain  spake  to  Abel  his  brother ;   and  it 
came  to  pass  when  they  were  in  the  field,  that  Cain  rose  up 
against  Abel  his  brother,  and  slew  him.     "  Cain  spake  to  Abel" 
signifies  an  interval  of  time.    "  Cain,"  as  before  stated,  signifies 
faith  separated  from  love ;  and  "  Abel"  charity,  the  brother  of 
faith,  on  which  account  he  is  here  twice  called  his  "  brother." 
A  "  field"  signifies  whatever  is  of  doctrine.     "  Cain  rose  up 
against  Abel  his  brother,  and  slew  him,"  signifies  that  separated 
faith  extinguished  charity. 

367.  It  is  unnecessary  to  confirm  these  things  by  similar 
passages  from  the  Word,  except  so  far  as  to  prove  that  charity 
is  the  "  brother"  of  faith,  and  that  a  "  field"  signifies  whatever 
is  of  doctrine.     That  charity  is  the  "  brother"  of  faith  is  evi- 
dent to  every  one  from  the  nature  or  essence  of  faith.     This 
brotherhood  was  represented  by  Esau  and  Jacob,  and  was  the 
ground  of  their  dispute  about  the  birthright  and  the  consequent 
dominion      It  was  also  represented  by  Pharez  and  Zarah,  the 
sons  of  Tamar  bj  Judah  (  Gen.  xxxviii.  28, 29, 30) ;  and  by  Eph- 
raim  and  Manasseh  (Gen.  xlviii.  13, 14)  ;  and  in  both  of  these,  as 


N.  367]  CHAPTER  IV.  VER.  8  155 

well  as  in  other  similar  cases,  there  is  a  dispute  about  the  primo- 
geniture and  the  consequent  dominion.  For  both  faith  and 
charity  are  the  offspring  of  the  church.  Faith  is  called  a 
"  man,"  as  was  Cain,  in  verse  1  of  this  chapter,  and  charity  is 
called  a  "  brother,"  as  in  Isa.  xix.  2 ;  Jer.  xiii.  14 ;  and  other 
places.  The  union  of  faith  and  charity  is  called  "  the  covenant 
of  brethren"  (Amos  i.  9).  Similar  to  the  signification  of  Cain 
and  Abel,  was  that  of  Jacob  and  Esau,  as  just  said ;  in  that 
Jacob  also  was  desirous  of  supplanting  his  brother  Esau,  as  is 
evident  also  in  Hosea : — 

To  visit  upon  Jacob  his  ways,  according  to  his  doings  will  He  recom- 
pense him  ;  he  supplanted  his  brother  in  the  womb  (xii.  2,  3). 

But  that  Esau,  or  the  charity  represented  by  Esau,  should  nev- 
ertheless at  length  have  the  dominion,  appears  from  the  pro- 
phetic prediction  of  their  father  Isaac : — 

By  thy  sword  shalt  thou  live,  and  shalt  serve  thy  brother ;  and  it 
shall  come  to  pass,  when  thou  hast  the  dominion,  that  thou  shalt  break 
his  yoke  from  off  thy  neck  (Gen.  xxvii.  40). 

Or  what  is  the  same,  the  Church  of  the  Gentiles,  or  new  church, 
is  represented  by  Esau,  and  the  Jewish  Church  is  represented 
by  Jacob ;  and  this  is  the  reason  for  its  being  so  often  said  that 
the  Jews  should  acknowledge  the  Gentiles  as  brethren ;  and  in 
the  Church  of  the  Gentiles,  or  primitive  church,  all  were  called 
brethren,  from  charity.  Such  as  hear  the  Word  and  do  it  are 
likewise  called  brethren  by  the  Lord  (Luke  viii.  21) ;  those  who 
hear  are  such  as  have  faith ;  those  who  do  are  such  as  have 
charity ;  but  those  who  hear,  or  say  that  they  have  faith,  and 
do  not,  or  have  not  charity,  are  not  brethren,  for  the  Lord  likens 
them  unto  fools  (Matt.  vii.  24,  26). 

368.  That  a  "field"  signifies  doctrine,  and  consequently 
whatever  belongs  to  the  doctrine  of  faith  and  charity,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  Word,  as  in  Jeremiah : — 

0  My  mountain  in  the  field,  I  will  give  thy  possessions  (facilitates) 
and  all  thy  treasures  for  a  spoil  (xvii.  3). 

In  this  passage  "  field"  signifies  doctrine ;  "  possessions"  and 
"  treasures"  denote  the  spiritual  riches  of  faith,  or  the  things 
that  belong  to  the  doctrine  of  faith.  In  the  same  : — 

Shall  the  snow  of  Lebanon  fail  from  the  rock  of  My  field  ?  (xviii,  14). 


156  GENESIS  [N.  368 

It  is  declared  concerning  Zion,  when  destitute  of  the  doctrine 
of  faith,  that  she  shall  be  "  plowed  like  a  field"  (Jer.  xxvi.  18 ; 
Mieah  iii.  12).  In  Ezekiel : — 

He  took  of  the  seed  of  the  land,  and  set  it  in  a  field  of  sowing  (xvii.  6), 

treating  of  the  church  and  of  its  faith ;  for  doctrine  is  called 
a  "  field"  from  the  seed  in  it.  In  the  same  : — 

And  let  all  the  trees  of  the  field  know  that  I  Jehovah  bring  down  the 
high  tree  (xvii.  24). 

In  Joel: — 

The  field  is  laid  waste,  the  ground  mourneth,  for  the  corn  is  wasted, 
the  new  wine  is  dried  up,  the  oil  languisheth,  the  husbandmen  are 
ashamed,  the  harvest  of  the  field  is  perished,  all  the  trees  of  the  field 
are  withered  (i.  10,  11,  12), 

where  the  "  field"  signifies  doctrine,  "  trees"  knowledges,  and 
"  husbandmen"  worshipers.  In  David : — 

The  field  shall  exult  and  all  that  is  therein  ;  then  shall  all  the  trees  of 
the  forest  sing  (Ps.  xcvi.  12), 

where  it  is  perfectly  evident  that  the  field  cannot  exult,  nor 
the  trees  of  the  forest  sing ;  but  things  that  are  in  man,  which 
are  the  knowledges  of  faith.  In  Jeremiah  : — 

How  long  shall  the  land  mourn,  and  the  herb  of  every  field  wither  ? 
(xii.  4), 

where  it  is  also  evident  that  neither  the  land  nor  the  herbs  of 
the  field  can  mourn ;  but  that  the  expressions  relate  to  some 
thing  in  man  while  in  a  state  of  vastation.  A  similar  passage 
occurs  in  Isaiah  : — 

The  mountains  and  the  hills  shall  break  forth  before  you  into  singing, 
and  all  the  trees  of  the  field  shall  clap  their  hands  (Iv.  12). 

The  Lord  also  in  His  prediction  concerning  the  consummation 
of  the  age  calls  the  doctrine  of  faith  a  "  field  :"- 

Then  shall  two  be  in  the  field,  the  one  shall  be  taken  and  the  other  left 
(Matt.  xxiv.  40  ;  Luke  xvii.  36), 

where  by  a  "  field"  is  meant  the  doctrine  of  faith,  both  true 
and  false.  As  a  "  field"  signifies  doctrine,  whoever  receives 
any  seed  of  faith,  whether  a  man,  the  church,  or  the  world,  is 
also  called  a  "  field." 


N.  309]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  8  157 

369.  From  this  then  it  follows  that  the  words  "  Cain  rose  up 
against  his  brother  Abel,  and  slew  him,  when  they  were  in  the 
field  together,"  denote  that  while  both  faith  and  charity  were 
from  the  doctrine  of  faith,  yet  faith  separate  from  love  could 
not  but  disregard  and  thereby  extinguish  charity;  as  is  the 
case  at  the  present  day  with  those  who  maintain  that  faith 
alone  saves,  without   any  work  of   charity,  for  in  this  very 
supposition  they  extinguish  charity,  although  they  know  and 
confess  with  their  lips  that  faith  is  not  saving  unless  there  is 
love. 

370.  Verse  9.  And  Jehovah  said  unto  Cain,  Where  is  Abel 
thy  brother  ?     And   he   said,  I  knoiv  not,  am  I  my  brother  s 
keeper  ?     "  Jehovah  said  unto  Cain,"  signifies  a  certain  per- 
ceptivity from  within  that   gave  them  a  dictate  concerning 
charity  or  the  "  brother  Abel."    Cain's  reply,  "  I  know  not,  am  I 
my  brother's  keeper  ?"  signifies  that  faith  considered  charity 
as  nothing,  and  was  unwilling  to  be  subservient  to  it,  conse- 
quently that  faith  altogether  rejected  everything  of  charity. 
Such  did  their  doctrine  become. 

371.  By  the  "  speaking  of  Jehovah"  the  most  ancient  people 
signified  perception,  for  they  knew  that  the  Lord  gave  them  the 
faculty  to  perceive.     This  perception  could  continue  no  longer 
than  while  love  was  the  principal.     When  love  to  the  Lord 
ceased,  and  consequently  love  toward  the  neighbor,  perception 
perished ;  but  in  so  far  as  love  remained,  perception  remained. 
This  perceptive  faculty  was  proper  to  the  Most  Ancient  Church, 
but  when  faith  became  separated  from  love,  as  in  the  people 
after  the  flood,  and  charity  was  given  through  faith,  then  con- 
science succeeded,  which  also  gives  a  dictate,  but  in  a  different 
way,  of  which,  by  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy,  hereafter.    When 
conscience  dictates,  it  is  in  like  manner  said  in  the  Word  that 
"  Jehovah  speaks ;"  because  conscience  is  formed  from  things 
revealed,  and  from  knowledges,  and  from  the  Word ;  and  when 
the  Word  speaks,  or  dictates,  it  is  the  Lord  who  speaks  ;  hence 
nothing  is  more  common,  even  at  the  present  day,  when  re- 
ferring to  any  matter  of  conscience,  or  of  faith,  than  to  say, 
"  the  Lord  says." 

372.  To  be  a  "keeper"  signifies  to  serve,  like  the  "door- 
keepers" and  "  porters"  (that  is,  the  keepers  of  the  threshold), 


158  GENESIS  [N.  372 

in  the  Jewish  Church.  Faith  is  called  the  "  keeper"  of  charity, 
from  the  fact  that  it  ought  to  serve  it,  but  it  was  according  to 
the  principles  of  the  doctrine  called  "  Cain,"  that  faith  should 
rule,  as  was  said  in  verse  7. 

373.  Verse  10.    And  He  said,  What  hast  thou  done  ?     The 
voice  of  thy  brother's  bloods  crieth  to  Me  from  the  ground.     The 
"  voice  of  thy  brother's  bloods,"  signifies  that  violence  had  been 
done  to  charity ;  the  "  crying  of  bloods,"  is  the  accusation  of 
guilt,  and  "  ground"  signifies  a  schism,  or  heresy. 

374.  That  the  "  voice  of  bloods"  signifies  that  violence  had 
been  done  to  charity,  is  evident  from  many  passages  in  the 
Word,  in  which  "voice"  denotes  anything  that  accuses,  and 
"  blood"  any  kind  of  sin,  and  especially  hatred ;  for  whosoever 
bears  hatred  toward  his  brother,  kills  him  in  his  heart ;  as  the 
Lord  teaches : — 

Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to  them  of  old,  Thou  shalt  not  kill, 
and  whosoever  shall  kill  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment ;  but  I  say 
unto  you,  that  whosoever  is  angry  with  his  brother  rashly  shall  be  in 
danger  of  the  judgment ;  and  whosoever  shall  say  to  his  brother,  Raca, 
shall  be  in  danger  of  the  council ;  but  whosoever  shall  say,  Thou  fool, 
shall  be  in  danger  of  the  hell  of  fire  (Matt.  v.  21,  22), 

by  which  words  are  meant  the  degrees  of  hatred.  Hatred  is 
contrary  to  charity,  and  kills  in  whatever  way  it  can,  if  not 
with  the  hand,  yet  in  spirit,  and  is  withheld  only  by  external 
restraints  from  the  deed  of  the  hand.  Therefore  all  hatred  is 
"  blood,"  as  in  Jeremiah : — 

Why  makest  thou  thy  way  good  to  seek  love  ?  Even  in  thy  skirts  are 
found  the  bloods  of  the  souls  of  the  needy  innocent  ones  (ii.  33,  34). 

[2]  And  as  hatred  is  denoted  by  "  blood,"  so  likewise  is  every 
kind  of  iniquity,  for  hatred  is  the  fountain  of  all  iniquities. 
As  in  Hosea : — 

Swearing  falsely,  and  lying,  and  killing,  and  stealing,  and  committing 
adultery,  they  rob,  and  bloods,  in  bloods  have  they  touched ;  therefore 
shall  the  land  mourn,  and  every  one  that  dwelleth  therein  shall  languish 
(iv.  2,  3). 

And  in  Ezekiel,  speaking  of  unmercifulness  : — 

Wilt  thou  judge  the  city  of  bloods,  and  make  known  to  her  all  her 
abominations  ?  a  city  that  sheddeth  bloods  in  the  midst  of  it.  Thou  art 
become  guilty  through  thy  blood  that  thou  hast  shed  (xxii.  2,  3,  4,  6,  9). 


N.  374]  CHAPTER  IV.  VER.  10  159 

In  the  same : — 

The  land  is  full  of  the  judgment  of  bloods,  and  the  city  is  full  of  vio- 
lence (vii.  23). 

And  in  Jeremiah : — 

For  the  sins  of  the  prophets  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  iniquities  of  her 
priests,  that  have  shed  the  blood  of  the  righteous  in  the  midst  of  her, 
they  wander  blind  in  the  streets,  they  have  been  polluted  with  blood 
(Lam.  iv.  13,  14). 

In  Isaiah : — 

When  the  Lord  shall  wash  away  the  filth  of  the  daughters  of  Zion, 
and  shall  have  purged  the  bloods  of  Jerusalem  from  the  midst,  with  the 
spirit  of  judgment,  and  with  the  spirit  of  burning  (iv.  4). 

And  again : — 

Your  palms  are  defiled  in  blood,  and  your  fingers  in  iniquity  (lix.  3). 

In  Ezekiel,  speaking  of  the  abominations  of  Jerusalem,  which 
are  called  "  bloods  :"- 

I  passed  by  thee,  and  saw  thee  trampled  in  thine  own  bloods,  and  I 
said  unto  thee,  Live  in  thy  bloods,  yea,  I  said  unto  thee,  Live  in  thy 
bloods  (xvi.  6,  22). 

[3]  The  unmercifulness  and  hatred  of  the  last  times  are  also 
described  by  "  blood"  in  the  Revelation  (xvi.  3,  4).  "  Bloods" 
are  mentioned  in  the  plural,  because  all  unjust  and  abominable 
things  gush  forth  from  hatred,  as  all  good  and  holy  ones  do 
from  love.  Therefore  he  who  feels  hatred  toward  his  neighbor 
would  murder  him  if  he  could,  and  indeed  does  murder  him 
in  any  way  he  can ;  and  this  is  to  do  violence  to  him,  which  is 
here  properly  signified  by  the  "  voice  of  bloods." 

375.  A  "voice  crying,"  and  the  "voice  of  a  cry,"  are  com- 
mon forms  of  expression  in  the  Word,  and  are  applied  to  every 
case  where  there  is  any  noise,  tumult,  or  disturbance,  and  also 
on  the  occasion  of  any  happy  event  (as  in  Exod.  xxxii.  17, 18 ; 
Zeph.  i.  9,  10 ;    Isa.  Ixv.  19 ;   Jer.  xlviii.  3).     In  the  present 
passage  it  denotes  accusation. 

376.  From  this  it  follows  that  the  "  crying  of  bloods"  sig- 
nifies the  accusation  of  guilt ;  for  those  who  use  violence  are 
held  guilty.     As  in  David : — 

Evil  shall  slay  the  wicked,  and  they  that  hate  the  righteous  shall  be 
guilty  (Ps.  xxxiv.  21). 


160  GENESIS  *  [N.  376 

In  Ezekiel : — 

Thou   city   art  become   guilty  by  the  blood  which  thou  hast  shed 
(xxii.  4). 

377.  That  the  "  ground"  here  signifies  a  schism  or  heresy,  is 
evident  from  the  fact   that  a  "  field"  signifies  doctrine,  and 
therefore  the  "ground,"  having  the  field  in  it,  is  a  schism. 
Man  himself  is  the  "  ground,"  and  also  the  "  field,"  because 
these  things  are  inseminated  in  him,  for  man  is  man  from 
what  is  inseminated  in  him,  a  good  and  true  man  from  goods 
and  truths,  an  evil  and  false  man  from  evils  and  falsities.    He 
who  is  in  any  particular  doctrine  or  heresy  is  named  from  it, 
and  so  in  the  passage  before  us  the  term  "  ground"  is  used  to 
denote  a  schism  or  heresy  in  man. 

378.  Verse  11.    And  now  cursed  art  thou  from  the  ground, 
which  hath  opened  its  mouth  to  receive  thy  brother's  Moods  from 
thy  hand.     "  Cursed  art  thou  from  the  ground,"  signifies  that 
through  the  schism   he  had  become  averted ;    "  which   hath 
opened  its  mouth,"  signifies  that  the  heresy  taught  them ;  to 
"  receive  thy  brother's  bloods  from  thy  hand,"  signifies  that  it 
did  violence  to  charity,  and  extinguished  it. 

379.  That  these  things  are  signified,  is  evident  from  what 
has  gone  before ;   and  that  to  be  "  cursed"  is  to  be  averse  to 
good,  has  been  already  shown  (n.  245).     For  iniquities   and 
abominations,  or  hatreds,  are  what  avert  man,  so  that  he  looks 
downward  only,  that  is,  to  bodily  and  earthly  things,  thus  to 
those  which  are  of  hell.     This  takes  place  when  charity  is 
banished  and  extinguished,  for  then  the  bond  which  connects 
the  Lord  with  man  is  severed,  since  only  charity,  or  love  and 
mercy,  are  what  conjoin  us  with  Him,  and  never  faith  without 
charity,  for  this  is  no  faith,  being  mere  knowledge,  such  as  the 
infernal  crew  themselves  may  possess,  and  by  which  they  can 
craftily  deceive  the  good,  and  feign  themselves  angels  of  light ; 
and  as  the  most  wicked  preachers   are  sometimes  wont  to  do, 
with  a  zeal  like  that  of  piety,  although  nothing  is  further  from 
their  hearts  than  that  which  proceeds  from  their  lips.     Can 
any  one  be  of  judgment  so  weak  as  to  believe  that  faith  alone 
in  the  memory,  or  the  thought  thence  derived,  can  be  of  any 
avail,  when  everybody  knows  from  his  own  experience  that  no 


N.  379]  CHAPTER  IV.  VER.  11  161 

one  esteems  the  words  or  assenting  of  another,  no  matter  of 
what  nature,  when  they  do  not  come  from  the  will  or  inten- 
tion ?  It  is  this  that  makes  them  pleasing,  and  that  conjoins 
one  man  with  another.  The  will  is  the  real  man,  and  not  the 
thought  or  speech  which  he  does  not  will.  A  man  acquires 
his  nature  and  disposition  from  the  will,  because  this  affects 
him.  But  if  any  one  thinks  what  is  good,  the  essence  of  faith, 
which  is  charity,  is  in  the  thought,  because  the  will  to  do  what 
is  good  is  in  it.  But  if  he  says  that  he  thinks  what  is  good, 
and  yet  lives  wickedly,  he  cannot  possibly  will  anything  but 
what  is  evil,  and  there  is  therefore  no  faith. 

380.  Verse  12.    When  thou  tillest  the  ground,  it  shall  not 
henceforth  yield  unto  thee  its  strength  ;  a  fugitive  and  a  wan- 
derer shall  thou  be  in  the  earth.     To  "  till  the  ground,"  signi- 
fies to  cultivate  this  schism  or  heresy ;  "  it  shall  not  yield  unto 
thee  its  strength,"  signifies  that  it  is  barren.     To  be  a  "  fugi- 
tive and  a  wanderer  in  the  earth,"  is  not  to  know  what  is  good 
and  true. 

381.  That   to    "till   the   ground"  means  to  cultivate  this 
schism  or  heresy,  appears  from  the  signification  of  "  ground," 
of  which  we  have  just  now  spoken ;  and  that  its  "  not  yielding 
its  strength"  denotes  its  barrenness,  is  evident  both  from  what 
was  said  concerning  ground,  and  from  the  words  themselves, 
as  well  as  from  this  consideration,  that  those  who  profess  faith 
without  charity,  profess  no  faith,  as  was  said  above. 

382.  That  to  be  a  "fugitive  and  a  wanderer  in  the  earth" 
signifies  not  to  know  what  is  good  and  true,  is  evident  from 
the  signification  of  "  wandering"  and  "  fleeing  away"  in  the 
Word.     As  in  Jeremiah  : — 

The  prophets  and  priests  wander  blind  in  the  streets,  they  have  been 
polluted  in  blood ;  the  things  they  cannot  do  they  touch  with  garments 
(Lam.  iv.  13,  14), 

where  "  prophets"  are  those  who  teach,  and  "  priests,"  those 
who  live  accordingly ;  to  "  wander  blind  in  the  streets,"  is  not 
to  know  what  is  true  and  good.  [2]  In  Amos : — 

A  part  of  the  field  was  rained  upon,  and  the  part  of  the  field  where- 
upon it  rained  not  withered  ;  so  two  or  three  cities  shall  wander  unto 
one  city  to  drink  waters,  and  shall  not  be  satisfied  (iv.  7,  8), 
VOL.  l.— 11 


162  GENESIS  [N.  382 

where  by  the  "  part  of  the  field  on  which  it  rained"  is  signified 
the  doctrine  of  faith  from  charity;  and  by  the  "part"  or 
"  piece"  "  of  the  field  on  which  it  did  not  rain,"  the  doctrine  of 
faith  without  charity.  To  "  wander  to  drink  the  waters,"  like- 
wise denotes  to  seek  after  truth.  [3]  In  Hosea : — 

Ephraim  is  smitten,  their  root  is  dried  up,  they  shall  bear  no  fruit ; 
my  God  will  cast  them  away,  because  they  did  not  hearken  unto  Him  ; 
and  they  shall  be  wanderers  among  the  nations  (ix.  16,  17). 

"  Ephraim"  here  denotes  the  understanding  of  truth,  or  faith, 
because  he  was  the  firstborn  of  Joseph ;  the  "  root  which  was 
dried  up,"  denotes  charity  that  cannot  bear  fruit ;  "  wanderers 
among  the  nations,"  are  those  who  do  not  know  what  is  true 
and  good.  [4]  In  Jeremiah : — 

Go  ye  up  against  Arabia,  and  devastate  the  sons  of  the  east.  Flee, 
wander  ye  exceedingly  ;  the  inhabitants  of  Hazor  have  let  themselves 
down  into  the  deep  for  a  habitation  (xlix.  28,  30). 

"  Arabia"  and  the  "  sons  of  the  east,"  signify  the  possession 
of  celestial  riches,  or  of  the  things  that  are  of  love,  which, 
when  vastated,  are  said  to  "  flee,"  and  "  wander,"  that  is,  to  be 
"  fugitives  and  wanderers,"  when  they  do  nought  of  what  is 
good.  Of  the  "  inhabitants  of  Hazor,"  or  those  who  possess 
spiritual  riches,  which  are  those  of  faith,  it  is  said  that  they 
"  let  themselves  down  into  the  deep,"  that  is,  they  perish.  [5] 
In  Isaiah : — 

All  thy  foremost  ones  wander  together,  they  are  bound  before  the 
bow,  they  have  fled  from  far  (xxii.  3), 

speaking  of  the  "  valley  of  vision,"  or  the  phantasy  that  faith 
is  possible  without  charity.  Hence  appears  the  reason  why 
it  is  said,  in  a  subsequent  verse  (14),  that  he  who  professes 
faith  that  is  apart  from  charity  is  a  "  fugitive  and  a  wanderer," 
that  is,  knows  nothing  of  good  and  truth. 

383.  Verse  13.  And  Cain  said  unto  Jehovah,  Mine  iniquity 
is  greater  than  can  be  taken  aivay.     "  Cain  said  unto  Jehovah," 
signifies  a  certain  confession  that  he  was  in  evil,  induced  by 
some    internal  pain ;  "  mine  iniquity  is  greater  than  can  be 
taken  away,"  signifies  despair  on  that  account. 

384,  Hence  it  appears  that  something  of  good  still  remained 
\\\  Cain ;  but  that  all  the  good  of  charity  afterwards  perished 
is  evident  from  what  is  said  of  Lamech  (verses  19,  23,  24). 


N.  385]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  14  163 

385.  Verse  14.  Behold  Thou  hast  cast  me  out  this  day  from 
the  faces  of  the  ground,  and  from  Thy  faces  shall  I  be  hid  ;  and 
I  shall  be  a  fugitive  and  a  wanderer  in  the  earth  ;  and  it  shall 
come  to  pass  that  every  one  that  findeth  me  shall  slay  me.     To 
be  "  cast  out  from  the  faces  of  the  ground,"  signifies  to  be 
separated  from  all  the  truth  of  the  church;  to  be  "hid  from 
Thy  faces,"  signifies  to  be  separated  from  all  the  good  of  faith 
of  love ;  to  be  a  "  fugitive  and  a  wanderer  in  the  earth,"  is  not 
to  know  what  is  true  and  good ;  "  every  one  that  findeth  me 
shall  slay  me,"  signifies  that  all  evil  and  falsity  would  destroy 
him. 

386.  That  to  be  "  cast  out  from  the  faces  of  the  ground"  is 
to  be  separated  from  all  the  truth  of  the  church,  is  evident  from 
the  signification  of  "  ground,"  which,  in  the  genuine  sense,  is 
the  church,  or  the  man  of  the  church,  and  therefore  whatever 
the  church  professes,  as  shown  above.     The  meaning  of  a  word 
necessarily  varies  with  the  subject  treated  of,  and  therefore 
even  those  who  wrongly  profess  faith,  that  is  who  profess  a 
schism  or  heresy,  are  also  called  "  ground."     Here  however  to 
be  "  driven  out  from  the  faces  of  the  ground"  signifies  to  be  no 
longer  in  the  truth  of  the  church. 

387.  That  to  be  "  hid  from  Thy  faces"  signifies  to  be  sep- 
arated from  all  the  good  of  the  faith  of  love,  is  evident  from  the 
signification  of  the  "  faces  of  Jehovah."     The  "  face  of  Jeho- 
vah," as  before  said,  is  mercy,  from  which  proceed  all  the  goods 
of  the  faith  of  love,  and  therefore  the  goods  of  faith  are  here 
signified  by  His  "  faces." 

388.  To  be  a  "  fugitive  and  a  wanderer  in  the  earth,"  means 
as  before  not  to  know  what  is  true  and  good. 

389.  That  "  every  one  finding  him  would  slay  him"  signifies 
that  every  evil  and  falsity  would  destroy  him,  follows  from  what 
has  been  said.     For  the  case  is  this.     When  a  man  deprives 
himself  of  charity,  he  separates  himself  from  the  Lord,  since 
it  is  solely  charity,  that  is,  love  toward  the  neighbor,  and  mercy, 
that  conjoin  man  with  the  Lord.     Where  there  is  no  charity, 
there  is  disjunction,  and  where  there  is  disjunction,  man  is 
left  to  himself  or  to  his  Own ;  and  then  whatever  he  thinks 
is  false,  and  whatever  he  wills  is  evil.     These  are  the  things 
that  slay  man,  or  cause  him  to  have  nothing  of  life  remaining. 


164  GENESIS  [N.  390 

390.  Those  who  are  in  evil  and  falsity  are  in  continual  dread 
of  being  slain,  as  is  thus  described  in  Moses : — 

Your  land  shall  be  a  desolation,  and  your  cities  a  waste,  and  upon 
them  that  are  left  of  you  I  will  bring  softness  into  their  heart  in  the  land 
of  their  enemies,  and  the  sound  of  a  driven  leaf  shall  chase  them,  and 
they  shall  flee  as  fleeing  from  a  sword,  and  they  shall  fall  when  none  pur- 
sueth,  and  shall  stumble  every  one  upon  his  brother,  as  it  were  before  a 
sword,  when  none  pursueth  (Lev.  xxvi.  33,  36,  37). 

In  Isaiah : — 

The  treacherous  deal  treacherously,  yea,  in  the  treachery  of  the  treach- 
erous they  deal  treacherously.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  he  who 
fleeth  from  the  noise  of  the  fear  shall  fall  into  the  pit,  and  he  that  cometh 
up  out  of  the  midst  of  the  pit  shall  be  taken  in  the  snare  ;  the  transgres- 
sion thereof  shall  be  heavy  upon  it,  and  it  shall  fall,  and  not  rise  again 
(xxiv.  16-20). 

In  Jeremiah : — 

Behold,  I  bring  a  dread  upon  thee,  from  all  thy  circuits  shall  ye  be 
driven  out  every  man  toward  his  faces,  and  none  shall  gather  up  him 
that  wandereth  (xlix.  5). 

In  Isaiah : — 

We  will  flee  upon  the  horse,  therefore  shall  ye  flee  ;  and,  We  will  ride 
upon  the  swift,  therefore  shall  they  that  pursue  you  be  rendered  swift ; 
one  thousand  shall  flee  at  the  rebuke  of  one,  at  the  rebuke  of  five  shall  ye 
flee  (xxx.  16,  17). 

In  these  and  other  passages  of  the  Word,  those  who  are  in 
falsity  and  evil  are  described  as  "  fleeing,"  and  as  in  "  fear  of 
being  slain."  They  are  afraid  of  everybody,  because  they  have 
no  one  to  protect  them.  All  who  are  in  evil  and  falsity  hate 
their  neighbor,  so  that  they  all  desire  to  kill  one  another. 

391.  The  state  of  evil  spirits  in  the  other  life  shows  most 
clearly  that  those  who  are  in  evil  and  falsity  are  afraid  of 
everybody.     Those  who  have  deprived  themselves  of  all  charity 
wander  about,  and  flee  from  place  to  place.     Wherever  they 
go,  if  to  any  societies,  these  at  once  perceive  their  character 
by  their  mere  coming,  for  such  is  the  perception  that  exists  in 
the  other  life ;  and  they  not  only  drive  them  away,  but  also 
severely  punish  them,  and  with  such  animosity  that  they  would 
kill  them  if  they  could.     Evil  spirits  take  the  greatest  delight 
in  punishing  and  tormenting  one  another ;  it  is  their  highest 
gratification.     Not  until  now  has  it  been  known  that  evil  and 


N.  391]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  14  165 

falsity  themselves  are  the  cause  of  this,  for  whatever  any  one 
desires  for  another  returns  upon  himself.  Falsity  has  in  itself 
the  penalty  of  falsity,  and  evil  has  in  itself  the  penalty  of  evil, 
and  consequently  they  have  in  themselves  the  fear  of  these 
penalties. 

392.  Verse  15.  And  Jehovah  said  unto  him,  Therefore  who- 
soever slayeth  Cain,  vengeance  shall  be  taken  on  him  sevenfold. 
And  Jehovah  set  a  mark  upon  Cain,  lest  any  finding  him  should 
smite  him.     By  "  vengeance  being  taken  sevenfold  on  any  one 
who  slays  Cain"  is  signified  that  to  do  violence  to  faith  even 
when  thus  separated  would  be  a  sacrilege ;  "  Jehovah  set  a 
mark  upon  Cain,  lest  any  finding  him  should  smite  him,"  sig- 
nifies that  the  Lord  distinguished  faith  in  a  particular  manner, 
in  order  that  it  might  be  preserved. 

393.  Before  we  proceed  to  elucidate  the  internal  sense  of 
the  words  before  us,  it  is  necessary  to  know  how  the  case  is 
with  faith.     The  Most  Ancient  Church  was  of  such  a  char- 
acter as  to  acknowledge  no  faith  except  that  which  is  of  love, 
insomuch  that  they  were  unwilling  even  to  mention  faith,  for 
through  love  from  the  Lord  they  perceived  all  things  that  be- 
long to  faith.     Such  also  are  the  celestial  angels  of  whom  we 
have  spoken  above.     But  as  it  was  foreseen  that  the  human 
race  could  not  be  of  this  character,  but  would  separate  faith 
from  love  to  the  Lord,  and  would  make  of  faith  a  doctrine  by 
itself,  it  was  provided  that  they  should  indeed  be  separated, 
but  in  such  a  way  that  through  faith,  that  is,  through  the 
knowledges  of  faith,  men  might  receive  from  the  Lord  charity, 
so  that  knowledge  (cognitio)  or  hearing  should  come  first,  and 
then    through    knowledge  or  hearing,    charity,    that  is,   love 
toward  the  neighbor,  and  mercy,  might  be  given  by  the  Lord, 
which  charity  should  not  only  be  inseparable  from  faith,  but 
should  also  constitute  the  principal  of  faith.     And  then  instead 
of  the  perception  they  had  in  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  there 
succeeded  conscience,  acquired  through  faith  joined  to  charity, 
which  dictated  not  what  is  true,  but  that  it  is  true,  and  this 
because  the  Lord  has  so  said  in  the  Word.     The  churches  after 
the  flood  were  for  the  most  part  of  this  character,  as  also  was 
the  primitive  or  first  church  after  the  Lord's  advent,  and  by 
this  the  spiritual  angels  are  distinguished  from  the  celestial. 


166  GENESIS  [N.  394 

394.  Now  as  this  was  foreseen,  and  was  provided,  lest  the 
human  race  should  perish  in  eternal  death,  it  is  here  declared 
that  none  should  do  violence  to  Cain,  by  whom  is  signified 
faith  separated  from  charity ;  and  further  that  a  mark  was  set 
upon  him,  which  means  that  the  Lord  distinguished  faith  in  a 
particular  manner,  in  order  to  secure  its  preservation.     These 
are  arcana  hitherto  undiscovered,  and  are  referred  to  by  the 
Lord  in  what  He  said  respecting  marriage,  and  eunuchs,  in 
Matthew : — 

There  are  eunuchs  who  were  so  born  from  their  mother's  womb  ;  and 
there  are  eunuchs  who  were  made  eunuchs  of  men ;  and  there  are  eu- 
nuchs who  have  made  themselves  eunuchs  for  the  kingdom  of  God's  sake  ; 
he  that  is  able  to  receive  it  let  him  receive  it  (xix.  12). 

Those  in  the  heavenly  marriage  are  called  "  eunuchs ;"  those 
so  "  born  from  the  womb,"  are  such  as  resemble  the  celestial 
angels  ;  those  "  made  of  men,"  are  such  as  are  like  the  spiritual 
angels ;  and  those  "  made  so  by  themselves,"  are  like  angelic 
spirits,  who  act  not  so  much  from  charity  as  from  obedience. 

395.  That  the  words  "  whosoever  slayeth  Cain,  vengeance 
shall  be  taken  on  him  sevenfold,"  signify  that  to  do  violence 
to  faith  even  when  thus  separated  would  be  sacrilege,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  signification  of  "  Cain,"  which  is  faith  separated 
from  charity,  and  from  the  signification  of  "  seven,"  which  is 
what  is  sacred.     The  number  "  seven"  was  esteemed  holy,  as 
is  well  known,  by  reason  of  the  six  days  of  creation,  and  of 
the  seventh,  which  is  the  celestial  man,  in  whom  is  peace,  rest, 
and  the  sabbath.     Hence  this  number  occurs  so  frequently  in 
the  rites  of  the  Jewish  Church,  and  is  everywhere  held  sacred, 
and  hence  also  both  greater  and  less  periods  of  time  were  dis- 
tinguished into  sevens,  and  were  called  "  weeks,"  such  as  the 
great  intervals  of  time  to  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  (Dan. 
ix.  24,  25) ;  and  the  time  of  seven  years  called  a  "  week"  by 
Laban  and  Jacob  (Gen.  xxix.  27,  28).     For  the  same  reason, 
wherever  it  occurs,  the  number  seven  is  accounted  holy  or  in- 
violable.    Thus  we  read  in  David : — 

Seven  times  a  day  do  I  praise  Thee  (Ps.  cxix.  164). 
In  Isaiah : — 

The  light  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  the  light  of 
the  sun  shall  be  sevenfold,  as  the  light  of  seven  days  (xxx.  26), 


N.  395]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  15  167 

where  the  "  sun"  denotes  love,  and  the  "  moon"  faith  from 
love,  which  should  be  as  love.  As  the  periods  of  man's  regen- 
eration are  distinguished  into  six,  before  the  seventh  arrives, 
that  is,  the  celestial  man,  so  also  are  the  periods  of  his  vasta- 
tion,  up  to  the  time  when  nothing  celestial  remains.  This  was 
represented  by  the  several  captivities  of  the  Jews,  and  by- the 
last  or  Babylonish  captivity,  which  lasted  seven  decades,  or 
seventy  years.  It  is  also  said  several  times  that  the  earth 
should  rest  on  its  sabbaths.  The  same  is  represented  by  Neb- 
uchadnezzar, in  Daniel : — 

His  heart  shall  be  changed  from  man,  and  a  beast's  heart  shall  be 
given  unto  him,  and  seven  times  shall  pass  over  him  (iv.  16,  23,  32). 

And  in  John,  concerning  the  vastation  of  the  last  times  : — 

I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven,  great  and  marvelous,  seven  angels,  hav- 
ing the  seven  last  plagues  (Rev.  xv.  1,  6,  7,  8)  ; 

and  that 

The  Gentiles  should  tread  the  holy  city  under  foot  forty  and  two 
months,  or  six  times  seven  (Rev.  xi.  2). 

And  again : — 

I  saw  a  book  written  within  and  on  the  back,  sealed  with  seven  seals 
(Rev.  \.  1). 

For  the  same  reason  the  severities  and  augmentations  of  pun- 
ishment were  expressed  by  the  number  seven  ;  as  in  Moses : — 

If  ye  will  not  yet  for  all  this  obey  Me,  then  I  will  chastise  you  seven- 
fold for  your  sins  (Lev.  xxvi.  18,  21,  24,  28). 

And  in  David: — 

Render  unto  our  neighbors  sevenfold  into  their  bosom  (Ps.  Ixxix.  12). 

Now  as  it  was  a  sacrilege  to  do  violence  to  faith — since  as  has 
been  said  it  was  to  be  of  service — it  is  said  that  "  whosoever 
should  slay  Cain,  vengeance  should  be  taken  on  him  seven- 
fold." 

396.  That  "Jehovah  set  a  mark  on  Cain,  lest  any  should 
smite  him,"  signifies  that  the  Lord  distinguished  faith  in  a 
particular  manner  in  order  that  it  might  be  preserved,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  signification  of  a  "  mark,"  and  of  "  setting  a 
mark"  on  any  one,  as  being  a  means  of  distinction.  Thus  in 
Ezekiel : — 


168  GENESIS  [N.  396 

Jehovah  said,  Go  through  the  midst  of  the  city,  through  the  midst  of 
Jerusalem,  and  set  a  mark  (that  is,  "mark  out")  upon  the  foreheads  of 
the  men  groaning  and  sighing  for  all  the  abominations  (ix.  4), 

where  by  "  marking  out  the  foreheads,"  is  not  meant  a  mark  or 
line  upon  the  front  part  of  their  heads,  but  to  distinguish  them 
from  others.  So  in  John,  it  is  said  that 

The  locusts  should  hurt  only  those  men  who  had  not  the  mark  of  God 
on  their  foreheads  (Rev.  ix.  4), 

where  also  to  have  the  mark  means  to  be  distinguished.  [2] 
And  in  the  same  book  we  read  of  a  "  mark  on  the  hand  and  on 
the  forehead"  (Rev.  xiii.  16).  The  same  thing  was  repre- 
sented in  the  Jewish  Church  by  binding  the  first  and  great 
commandment  on  the  hand  and  on  the  forehead,  concerning 
which  we  read  in  Moses : — 

Hear,  0  Israel,  Jehovah  our  God  is  one  Jehovah  ;  and  thou  shalt  love 
Jehovah  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all 
thy  strength,  and  thou  shalt  bind  these  words  for  a  sign  upon  thy  hand, 
and  they  shall  be  as  frontlets  between  thine  eyes  (Deut.  vi.  4,  8 ;  xi. 
13,  18). 

By  this  was  represented  that  they  should  distinguish  the  com- 
mandment respecting  love  above  every  other,  and  hence  the 
signification  of  "  marking  the  hand  and  the  forehead"  becomes 
manifest.  [3]  So  in  Isaiah  : — 

I  come  to  gather  all  nations  and  tongues ;  and  they  shall  come  and 
shall  see  My  glory  ;  and  I  will  set  a  mark  upon  them  (Ixvi.  18,  19). 

And  in  David : — 

0  turn  unto  me,  and  have  mercy  upon  me,  give  Thy  strength  unto  Thy 
servant,  and  save  the  son  of  Thy  handmaid.  Set  upon  me  a  mark  for 
good,  and  they  that  hate  me  shall  see  and  be  ashamed  (Ps.  Ixxxvi.  1(5, 17). 

From  these  passages  the  meaning  of  a  mark  is  now  evident. 
Let  no  one  therefore  imagine  that  any  mark  was  set  upon  a 
particular  person  called  Cain,  for  the  internal  sense  of  the 
Word  contains  things  quite  different  from  those  contained  in 
the  sense  of  the  letter. 

397.  Verse  16.  And  Cain  went  out  from  the  faces  of Jehovah, 
and  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Nod,  toivard  the  east  of  Eden.  By  the 
words  "  Cain  went  out  from  the  faces  of  Jehovah"  is  signified 
that  faith  was  separated  from  the  good  of  the  faith  of  love ; 


N.  397]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  16  169 

"  he  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Nod,"  signifies  outside  of  truth  and 
good ;  "  toward  the  east  of  Eden,"  is  near  the  intellectual  mind, 
where  love  reigned  before. 

398.  That  to  "go  out  from  the  faces  of  Jehovah"  signifies 
to  be  separated  from  the  good  of  the  faith  of  love,  may  be  seen 
in  the  explication  of  verse  14 ;  that  to  "  dwell  in  the  land  of 
Nod"  signifies  outside  of  truth  and  good,  is  evident  from  the 
signification  of  the  word  "  Nod,"  which  is  to  be  a  wanderer 
and  a  fugitive ;  and  that  to  be  "  a  wanderer  and  a  fugitive"  is 
to  be  deprived  of  truth  and  good,  may  be  seen  above.     That 
"  toward  the  east  of  Eden"  signifies  near  the  intellectual  mind, 
where  love  had  previously  reigned,  and  also  near  the  rational 
mind,  where  charity  had  previously  reigned,  is  evident  from 
what  has  been  said  of  the  signification  of  "  the  east  of  Eden," 
namely,  that  "  the  east"  is  the  Lord,  and  "  Eden"  love.     With 
the  men  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  the  mind,  consisting  of 
the  will  and  the  understanding,  was  one ;  for  the  will  was  the 
all  in  all,  so  that  the  understanding  was  of  the  will.     This  was 
because  they  made  no  distinction  between  love,  which  is  of  the 
will,  and  faith,  which  is  of  the  understanding,  because  love  was 
the  all  in  all,  and  faith  was  of  love.     But  after  faith  was  sep- 
arated from  love,  as  was  the  case  with  those  who  were  called 
"  Cain,"  no  will  reigned  any  longer,  and  as  in  that  mind  the  un- 
derstanding reigned  instead  of  the  will,  or  faith  instead  of  love, 
it  is  said  that  he  "  dwelt  toward  the  east  of  Eden ;"  for  as  was 
just  now  observed  faith  was  distinguished,  or  "  had  a  mark  set 
upon  it,"  that  it  might  be  preserved  for  the  use  of  mankind. 

399.  Verse  17.  And  Cain  knew  his  wife,  and  she  conceived, 
and  bare  Enoch  ;  and  he  was  building  a  city,  and  called  the 
name  of  the  city  after  the  name  of  his  son,  Enoch.     The  words 
"  Cain  knew  his  wife,  and  she  conceived  and  bare  Enoch,"  sig- 
nify that  this  schism  or  heresy  produced  another  from  itself 
that  was  called  "  Enoch."     By  "  the  city  which  he  built"  is 
signified  all  that  was  doctrinal  and  heretical  therefrom,  and 
because  the  schism  or  heresy  was  called  "  Enoch,"  it  is  said 
that  "  the  name  of  the  city  was  called  after  the  name  of  his 
son,  Enoch." 

400.  That  "  Cain  knew  his  wife,  and  she  conceived,  and  bare 
Enoch,"  signifies  that  this  schism  or  heresy  produced  another 


170  GENESIS  [N.  400 

from  itself,  ;s  evident  from  what  has  been  previously  said,  as 
well  as  from  what  is  stated  in  the  first  verse,  that  the  Man 
and  Eve  his  w:fe  produced  Cain;  so  that  the  things  which 
now  follow  are  similar  conceptions  and  births,  whether  of  the 
church,  or  of  heresit^s,  whereof  they  formed  a  genealogy,  for 
these  are  similarly  related  to  each  other.  From  one  heresy 
that  is  conceived  there  are  born  a  host  of  them. 

401.  That  it  was  a  heresy  with  all  its  doctrinal  or  heretical 
teaching  that  was  called  "  Enoch,"  is  in  some  measure  evident 
from  this  name,  which  means  the  instruction  so  begun  or 
initiated. 

402.  That  by  the  "city  that  was  built"  is  signified  all  the 
doctrinal  and  heretical  teaching  that  came  from  that  heresy,  is 
evident  from  every  passage  of  the  Word  in  which  the  name  of 
any  city  occurs ;  for  in  none  of  them  does  it  ever  mean  a  city, 
but  always  something  doctrinal  or  else  heretical.     The  angels 
are  altogether  ignorant  of  what  a  city  is,  and  of  the  name  of 
any  city ;  since  they  neither  have  nor  can  have  any  idea  of  a 
city,  in  consequence  of  their  ideas  being  spiritual  and  celestial, 
as  was  shown  above.     They  perceive  only  what  a  city  and  its 
name  signify.     Thus  by  the  "  holy  city,"  which  is  also  called 
the  "  holy  Jerusalem,"  nothing  else  is  meant  than  the  kingdom 
of  the  Lord  in  general,  or  in  each  individual  in  particular  in 
whom  is  that  kingdom.     The  "  city"  and  "  mountain"  "  of  Zion" 
also  are  similarly  understood ;  the  latter  denoting  the  celes- 
tial of  faith,  and  the  former  its  spiritual.     [2]  The  celestial 
and  spiritual  itself  is  also  described  by  "cities,"  "palaces," 
"  houses,"    "  walls,"    "  foundations    of     walls,"    "  ramparts," 
"  gates,"  "  bars,"  and  the  "  temple"  in  the  midst ;  as  in  Ezekiel 
xlviii. ;  in  the  Revelation  xxi.  15  to  the  end,  where  it  is  also 
called  the  Holy  Jerusalem,  verses  2, 10 ;  and  in  Jeremiah  xxxi. 
38.     In  David  it  is  called  "  the  city  of  God,  the  holy  place  of 
the  tabernacles  of  the  Most  High"  (Ps.  xlvi.  4) ;  in  Ezekiel, 
"the  city,  Jehovah  there"   (xlviii.   35),  and  of  which  it  is 
written  in  Isaiah  : — 

The  sons  of  the  stranger  shall  build  thy  walls,  all  they  that  despised 
thee  shall  bow  themselves  down  at  the  soles  of  thy  feet,  and  they  shall 
call  thee  the  city  of  Jehovah,  the  Zici  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  (lx. 
10,  14). 


N.  402]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  17  171 

In  Zechariah : — 

Jerusalem  shall  be  called  the  city  of  truth  ;  and  the  mountain  of  Zion, 
the  mountain  of  holiness  (viii.  3), 

where  the  "  city  of  truth/'  or  "  Jerusalem,"  signifies  the  spir- 
itual things  of  faith ;  and  the  "  mountain  of  holiness,"  or  "  of 
Zion,"  the  celestial  things  of  faith.  [3]  As  the  celestial  and 
spiritual  things  of  faith  are  represented  by  a  city,  so  also  are 
all  doctrinal  things  signified  by  the  cities  of  Judah  and  of 
Israel,  each  of  which  when  named  has  its  own  specific  signi- 
fication of  something  doctrinal,  but  what  that  is  no  one  can 
know  except  from  the  internal  sense.  As  doctrinal  things  are 
signified  by  "  cities,"  so  also  are  heresies,  and  in  this  case  every 
particular  city,  according  to  its  name,  signifies  some  particular 
heretical  opinion.  At  present  we  shall  only  show  from  the 
following  passages  of  the  Word,  that  in  general  a  "  city"  signi- 
fies something  doctrinal,  or  else  heretical.  [4]  Thus  we  read 
in  Isaiah : — 

In  that  day  there  shall  be  five  cities  in  the  land  of  Egypt  speaking 
with  the  lip  of  Canaan,  and  swearing  to  Jehovah  Zebaoth  ;  one  shall  be 
called  the  city  He  res  (xix.  18), 

where  the  subject  treated  of  is  the  memory -knowledge  (scien- 
tia)  of  spiritual  and  celestial  things  at  the  time  of  the  Lord's 
advent.  So  again,  when  treating  of  the  valley  of  vision,  that 
is,  of  phantasy  : — 

Thou  art  full  of  tumults,  a  tumultuous  city,  an  exulting  city  (xxii.  2). 

In  Jeremiah,  speaking  of  those  who  are  "  in  the  south,"  that 
is,  in  the  light  of  truth,  and  who  extinguish  it : — 

The  cities  of  the  south  have  been  shut  up,  and  none  shall  open  them 
(xiii.  19). 

Again : — 

Jehovah  hath  purposed  to  destroy  the  wall  of  the  daughter  of  Zion  ; 
therefore  He  maketh  the  rampart  and  the  wall  to  lament ;  they  languished 
together.  Her  gates  are  sunk  into  the  ground  ;  He  hath  destroyed  and 
broken  her  bars  (Lam.  ii.  8,  9), 

where  any  one  may  see  that  by  a  "  wall,"  a  "  rampart,"  "  gates," 
and  "bars,"  doctrinal  things  only  are  meant.  [5]  In  like 
manner  in  Isaiah  : — 


172  GENESIS  [N.  402 

This  song  shall  be  sung  in  the  land  of  Judah,  We  have  a  strong  city  ; 
salvation  will  set  the  walls  and  the  bulwark  ;  open  ye  the  gates,  that  the 
righteous  nation  which  keepeth  fidelities  may  enter  in  (xxvi.  1,  2). 

Again  :— 

I  will  exalt  thee,  I  will  confess  to  Thy  name,  for  Thou  hast  made  of  a 
city  a  heap,  of  a  defenced  city  a  ruin  ;  a  palace  of  strangers  shall  not  be 
built  of  the  city  forever.  Therefore  shall  the  strong  people  honor  Thee, 
the  city  of  the  terrible  nations  shall  fear  Thee  (xxv.  1,  2,  3), 

in  which  passage  there  is  no  reference  to  any  particular  city. 
In  the  prophecy  of  Balaam  : — 

Edom  shall  be  an  inheritance,  and  out  of  Jacob  shall  one  have  domin- 
ion, and  shall  destroy  the  residue  of  the  city  (Num.  xxiv.  18,  19), 

where  it  must  be  plain  to  every  one  that  "  city"  here  does  not 
mean  a  city.  In  Isaiah : — 

The  city  of  emptiness  is  broken  ;  every  house  is  shut,  that  the  cry  over 
wine  in  the  streets  cannot  enter  (xxiv.  10,  11), 

where  the  "  city  of  emptiness"  denotes  emptinesses  of  doctrine ; 
and  "  streets"  signify  here  as  elsewhere  the  things  which  be- 
long to  the  city,  whether  falsities  or  truths.  In  John : — 

When  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial,  the  great  city  was  divided 
into  three  parts,  and  the  cities  of  the  nations  fell  (Rev.  xvi.  17,  19). 

That  the  "  great  city"  denotes  something  heretical,  and  that  the 
"  cities  of  the  nations"  do  so  too,  must  be  evident  to  every  one. 
It  is  also  explained  that  the  great  city  was  the  woman  that 
John  saw  (xvii.  18) ;  and  that  the  woman  denotes  a  church  of 
that  character  has  been  shown  before. 

403.  We  have  now  seen  what  a  "  city"  signifies.     But  as  all 
this  part  of  Genesis  is  put  into  an  historical  form,  to  those  who 
are  in  the  sense  of  the  letter  it  must  seem  that  a  city  was  built 
by  Cain,  and  was  called  Enoch,  although  from  the  sense  of  the 
letter  they  must  also  suppose  that  the  land  was  already  popu- 
lous, notwithstanding  that  Cain  was  only  the  firstborn  of  Adam. 
But  as  we  observed  above,  the  most  ancient  people  were  ac- 
customed to  arrange  all  things  in  the  form  of  a  history,  under 
representative  types,  and  this  was  to  them  delightful  in  the 
highest  degree,  for  it  made  all  things  seem  to  be  alive. 

404.  Verse  18.  And  unto  Enoch  was  born  Irad ;  and  Trad 
begat  Mehujael,  and  Mehnjael  begat  Methusael,  and  Methusael 
begat  Lamech      All  these  names  signify  heresies  derived  from 


N.  404]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  18  173 

the  first,  which  was  called  "  Cain ;"  but  as  there  is  nothing  ex- 
tant respecting  them,  except  the  names,  it  is  unnecessary  to  say 
anything  about  them.  Something  might  be  gathered  from  the 
derivations  of  the  names  ;  for  example,  "  Irad"  means  that  he 
"  descends  from  a  city,"  thus  from  the  heresy  called  "  Enoch," 
and  so  on. 

405.  Verse  19.  And  Lantech  took  unto  him  two  wives;  the 
name  of  the  one  was  Adah,  and  the  name  of  the  other  Zillah. 
By  "  Lamech,"  who  was  the  sixth  in  order  from  Cain,  is  sig- 
nified vastation,  in  consequence  of  there  being  no  longer  any 
faith ;  by  his  "  two  wives"  is  signified  the  rise  of  a  new  church ; 
by  "  Adah,"  the  mother  of  its  celestial  and  spiritual  things ; 
and  by  "  Zillah,"  the  mother  of  its  natural  things. 

406.  That  by  "  Lamech"  is  signified  vastation,  or  that  there 
was  no  faith,  is  evident  from  the  following  verses  (23,  24),  in 
which  it  is  said  that  he  "  slew  a  man  to  his  wounding,  and  a 
little  one  to  his  hurt ;"  for  there  by  a  "  man"  is  meant  faith, 
and  by  a  "  little  one"  or  "  little  child,"  charity. 

407.  The  state  of  a  church  in  general  is  thus  circumstanced. 
In  process  of  time  it  departs  from  the  true  faith  until  at  last 
it  comes  to  be  entirely  destitute  of  faith,  when  it  is  said  to  be 
"  vastated."    This  was  the  case  with  the  Most  Ancient  Church 
among  those  who  were  called  Cainites,  and  also  with  the  An- 
cient Church  after  the  flood,  as  well  as  with  the  Jewish  Church. 
At  the  time  of  the  Lord's  advent  this  last  was  in  such  a  state 
of  vastation  that  they  knew  nothing  about  the  Lord,  that  He 
was  to  come  into  the  world  for  their  salvation,  and  they  knew 
still  less  about  faith  in  Him.     Such  was  also  the  case  with  the 
primitive  Christian  Church,  or  that  which  existed  after  the 
Lord's  advent,  and  which  at  this  day  is  so  completely  vastated 
that  there  is  no  faith  remaining  in  it.    Yet  there  always  remains 
some  nucleus  of  a  church,  which  those  who  are  vastated  as  to 
faith  do  not   acknowledge ;  and  thus  it  was  with  the  Most 
Ancient  Church,  of  which  a  remnant  remained  until  the  time 
of  the  flood,  and  continued  after  that  event.     This  remnant 
of  the  Church  is  called  "  Noah." 

408.  When  a  church  has  been  so  vastated  that  there  is  no 
longer  any  faith,  then  and  not  before,  it  begins  anew,  that  is, 
new  light  shines  forth,  which  in  the  Word  is  called  the  "  morn- 


174  GENESIS  [N.  408 

ing."  The  reason  why  the  new  light  or  "  morning"  does  not 
shine  forth  until  the  church  is  vastated,  is  that  the  things  of 
faith  and  of  charity  have  been  commingled  with  things  profane ; 
and  so  long  as  they  remain  in  this  state  it  is  impossible  for 
anything  of  light  or  charity  to  be  insinuated,  since  the  "  tares" 
destroy  all  the  "  good  seed."  But  when  there  is  no  faith,  faith 
can  no  longer  be  profaned,  because  men  no  longer  believe  what 
is  declared  unto  them ;  and  those  who  do  not  acknowledge  and 
believe,  but  only  know,  cannot  profane,  as  was  observed  above. 
This  is  the  case  with  the  Jews  at  the  present  day,  who  in  con- 
sequence of  living  among  Christians  must  be  aware  that  the 
Lord  is  acknowledged  by  Christians  to  be  the  Messiah  whom 
they  themselves  have  expected,  and  still  continue  to  expect, 
but  yet  they  cannot  profane  this  because  they  do  not  acknowl- 
edge and  believe  it.  And  it  is  the  same  with  the  Moham- 
medans and  Gentiles  who  have  heard  about  the  Lord.  It  was 
for  this  reason  that  the  Lord  did  not  come  into  the  world  until 
the  Jewish  Church  acknowledged  and  believed  nothing. 

409.  The  case  was  the  same  with  the  heresy  called  "  Cain," 
which  in  process  of  time  was  vastated,  for  although  it  acknowl- 
edged love,  yet  it  made  faith  the  chief  and  set  it  before  love, 
and  the  heresies  derived  from  this  one  gradually  wandered  from 
it,  and  Lamech,  who  was  the  sixth  in  order,  altogether  denied 
even  faith.  When  this  time  arrived,  a  new  light,  or  morning, 
shone  forth,  and  a  new  church  was  made  which  is  here  named 
"  Adah  and  Zillah,"  who  are  called  the  "  wives  of  Lamech." 
They  are  called  the  wives  of  Lamech,  although  he  possessed  no 
faith,  just  as  the  internal  and  external  church  of  the  Jews,  who 
also  had  no  faith,  are  also  in  the  Word  called  "  wives,"  being  rep- 
resented by  Leah  and  Rachel,  the  two  wives  of  Jacob — Leah  rep- 
resenting the  external  church  and  Rachel  the  internal.  These 
churches,  although  they  appear  like  two,  are  yet  only  one  ;  for 
the  external  or  representative,  separate  from  the  internal,  is  but 
as  something  idolatrous,  or  dead,  whereas  the  internal  together 
with  the  external  constitute  a  church,  and  even  one  and  the 
same  church,  as  Adah  and  Zillah  do  here.  As  however  Jacob 
and  his  posterity,  like  Lamech,  had  no  faith,  the  church  could 
not  remain  with  them,  but  was  transferred  to  the  Gentiles,  who 
lived  not  in  infidelity  but  in  ignorance.  The  church  rarely,  if 


N.  409]  CHAPTER  IV.  VER.  19  175 

ever,  remains  with  those  who  when  vastated  have  truths  among 
them  (apud  se~),  but  is  transferred  to  those  who  know  nothing 
at  all  of  truths,  for  these  embrace  the  faith  much  more  easily 
than  the  former. 

410.  Vastation  is  of  two  kinds ;  first,  of  those  who  know 
and  do  not  wish  to  know,  or  who  see  and  do  not  desire  to  see, 
like  the  Jews  of  old,  and  the  Christians  of  the  present  day ; 
and  secondly,  of  those  who,  in  consequence  of  their  ignorance, 
neither  know  nor  see  anything,  like  both  the  ancient  and 
modern  Gentiles.     When  the  last  time  of-  vastation  comes 
upon  those  who  know  and  do  not  desire  to  know,  that  is,  who 
see  and  do  not  desire  to  see,  then  a  church  arises  anew,  not 
among  them,  but  with  those  whom  they  call  Gentiles.     This 
occurred  with  the  Most  Ancient  Church  that  was  before  the 
flood,  with  the  Ancient  Church  that  was  after  that  event,  and 
also  with   the  Jewish   Church.     The    reason  why  new  light 
shines  forth  then  and  not  before  is,  as  has  been  said,  that  then 
they  can  no  longer  profane  the  things  revealed,  because  they 
do  not  acknowledge  and  believe  that  they  are  true. 

411.  That  the  last  time  of  vastation  must  exist  before  a  new 
church  can  arise,  is  frequently  declared  by  the  Lord  in  the 
Prophets,  and  is  there  called  "  vastation"  or  "  laying  waste," 
in  reference  to  the  celestial  things  of  faith ;  and  "  desolation," 
in  relation  to  the  spiritual  things  of  faith.     It  is  also  spoken 
of  as  "  consummation"  and  "  cutting  off."     (See  Isa.  vi.  9,  11, 
12 ;  xxiii.  8  to  the  end ;  xxiv. ;  xlii.   15-18 ;  Jer.  xxv.,  Dan. 
viii. ;  ix.  24  to  the  end ;  Zeph.  i ;  Deut.  xxxii. ;  Rev.  xv.,  xvi., 
and  following  chapters.) 

412.  Verse  20.  And  Adah  bare  Jabal ;  he  was  the  father  of 
the  dweller  in  tents,  and  of  cattle.    By  "  Adah"  is  signified,  as  be- 
fore, the  mother  of  the  celestial  and  spiritual  things  of  faith ; 
by  "  Jabal,  the  father  of  the  dweller  in  tents,  and  of  cattle,"  is 
signified  doctrine  concerning  the  holy  things  of  love,  and  the 
goods  thence  derived,  which  are  celestial. 

413.  That  by  "Adah"  is  signified  the  mother  of  the  celes- 
tial things  of  faith,  is  evident  from  her  firstborn  Jabal  being 
called  the  "  father  of  the  dweller  in  tents,  and  of  cattle,"  which 
are  celestial  because  they  signify  the  holy  things  of  love  and 
the  goods  thence  derived. 


176  GENESIS  [N.  414 

414.  That  to  "dwell  in  tents"  signifies  what  is  holy  of 
love,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  tents"  in  the  Word. 
As  in  David : — 

Jehovah,  who  shall  abide  in  Thy  tent  ?  Who  shall  dwell  in  the  moun- 
tain of  Thy  holiness  ?  He  that  walketh  upright,  and  worketh  righteous- 
ness, and  speaketh  the  truth  in  his  heart  (Ps.  xv.  1,  2), 

in  which  passage,  what  it  is  to  "  dwell  in  the  tent,"  or  "  in  the 
mountain  of  holiness,"  is  described  by  holy  things  of  love, 
namely,  the  walking  uprightly,  and  working  righteousness. 
Again : — 

Their  line  is  gone  out  through  all  the  earth,  and  their  discourse  to  the 
end  of  the  world.  In  them  hath  He  set  a  tent  for  the  sun  (Ps.  xix.  4), 

where  the  "  sun"  denotes  love.     Again  : — 

I  will  abide  in  Thy  tent  to  eternities,  I  will  trust  in  the  covert  of  Thy 
wings  (Ps.  Ixi.  4), 

where  the  "  tent"  denotes  what  is  celestial,  and  the  "  covert  of 
wings"  what  fs  spiritual  thence  derived.  In  Isaiah : — 

By  mercy  the  throne  has  been  made  firm,  and  one  hath  sat  upon  it  in 
truth,  in  the  tent  of  David,  judging  and  seeking  judgment,  and  hasting 
righteousness  (xvi.  5), 

where  also  the  "  tent"  denotes  what  is  holy  of  love,  as  may 
be  seen  by  the  mention  of  "  judging  judgment,"  and  "  hasting 
righteousness."  Again : — 

Look  upon  Zion,  the  city  of  our  appointed  feast ;  thine  eyes  shall  see 
Jerusalem  a  quiet  habitation,  a  tent  that  shall  not  be  moved  away 
(xxxiii.  20), 

speaking  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem.     [2]  In  Jeremiah  :— 

Thus  said  Jehovah,  Behold,  I  bring  again  the  captivity  of  Jacob's 
tents,  and  will  have  mercy  on  his  dwelling  places,  and  the  city  shall  be 
builded  upon  her  own  heap  (xxx.  18)  ; 

the  "  captivity  of  tents"  signifies  the  vastation  of  what  is 
celestial,  or  of  the  holy  things  of  love.  In  Amos : — 

In  that  day  will  I  raise  up  the  tabernacle  of  David  which  is  fallen,  and 
will  fence  up  the  breaches  thereof,  and  I  will  raise  up  its  ruins,  and  I 
will  build  it  as  in  the  days  of  eternity  (ix.  11), 

where  the  "  tabernacle"  in  like  manner  denotes  what  is  celes- 
tial and  the  holy  things  thereof.  In  Jeremiah : — 


N.  414]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  20  177 

The  whole  land  is  laid  waste,  suddenly  are  My  tents  laid  waste,  and 
My  curtains  in  a  moment  (iv.  20). 

And  in  another  place  : — 

My  tent  is  laid  waste,  and  all  My  cords  are  plucked  out,  My  sons  are 
gone  forth  from  Me,  and  they  are  not ;  there  is  none  to  stretch  My  tent 
any  more,  and  to  set  up  My  curtains  (x.  20), 

where  the  "  tent"  signifies  celestial  things,  and  "  curtains"  and 
"  cords"  spiritual  things  thence  derived.  Again  : — 

Their  tents  and  their  flocks  shall  they  take  ;  they  shall  carry  off  for 
themselves  their  curtains,  and  all  their  vessels,  and  their  camels  (xlix, 
29), 

speaking  of  Arabia  and  the  sons  of  the  east,  by  whom  are  rep- 
resented those  who  possess  what  is  celestial  or  holy.  Again  : — 

Into  the  tent  of  the  daughter  of  Zion  the  Lord  hath  poured  out  His 
wrath  like  fire  (Lam.  ii.  4), 

speaking  of  the  vastation  of  the  celestial  or  holy  things  of 
faith.  [3]  The  reason  why  the  term  "  tent"  is  employed  in 
the  Word  to  represent  the  celestial  and  holy  things  of  love,  is 
that  in  ancient  times  they  performed  the  holy  rites  of  worship 
in  their  tents.  But  when  they  began  to  profane  the  tents  by 
profane  kinds  of  worship,  the  tabernacle  was  built,  and  after- 
wards the  temple,  and  therefore  tents  represented  all  that  was 
subsequently  denoted  first  by  the  tabernacle,  and  afterwards 
by  the  temple.  For  the  same  reason  a  holy  man  is  called  a 
"  tent,"  a  "  tabernacle,"  and  a  "  temple"  of  the  Lord.  That  a 
"  tent,"  a  "  tabernacle,"  and  a  "  temple"  have  the  same  signi- 
fication, is  evident  in  David: — 

One  thing  have  I  asked  of  Jehovah,  that  will  I  seek  after,  that  I  may 
remain  in  the  house  of  Jehovah  all  the  days  of  my  life,  to  behold  Jehovah 
in  sweetness,  and  to  visit  early  in  His  temple  ;  for  in  the  day  of  evil  He 
shall  hide  me  in  His  tabernacle  ;  in  the  secret  of  His  tent  shall  He  hide 
me  ;  He  shall  set  me  up  upon  a  rock.  And  now  shall  my  head  be  lifted 
up  against  mine  enemies  round  about  me,  and  I  will  offer  in  His  tent 
sacrifices  of  shouting  (Ps.  xxvii.  4,  5,  6). 

[4]  In  the  supreme  sense,  the  Lord  as  to  His  Human  essence 
is  the  "  tent,''  the  "  tabernacle,"  and  the  "  temple  ;"  hence  every 
celestial  man  is  so  called,  and  also  everything  celestial  and 
holy.  Now  as  the  Most  Ancient  Church  was  better  beloved  of 
the  Lord  than  the  churches  that  followed  it,  and  as  men  at  that 
VOL.  I.— 12 


178  GENESIS  [N.  414 

time  lived  alone,  that  is,  in  their  own  families,  and  celebrated 
so  holy  a  worship  in  their  tents,  therefore  tents  were  accounted 
more  holy  than  the  temple,  which  was  profaned.  In  remem- 
brance thereof  the  feast  of  tabernacles  was  instituted,  when 
they  gathered  in  the  produce  of  the  earth,  during  which,  like 
the  most  ancient  people,  they  dwelt  in  tents  (Lev.  xxiii.  39-44 ; 
Deut.  xvi.  13 ;  Hosea  xii.  9). 

415.  That  by  the  "father  of  cattle"  is  signified  the  good 
that  is  derived  from  the  holy  things  of  love,  is  evident  from 
what  was  shown  above,  at  verse  2  of  this  chapter,  where  it  was 
shown  that  a  "  shepherd  of  the  flock"  signifies  the  good  of 
charity.  Here  however  the  term  "  father"  is  employed  instead 
of  "  shepherd,"  and  "  cattle"  instead  of  "  flock ;"  and  the  word 
"  cattle,"  of  which  Jabal  is  said  to  be  the  "  father,"  follows  im- 
mediately after  "tent,"  whence  it  is  evident  that  it  signifies 
the  good  that  comes  from  the  holy  of  love,  and  that  there  is 
meant  a  habitation  or  fold  for  cattle,  or  the  father  of  them 
that  dwell  in  tents  and  in  folds  for  cattle.  And  that  these 
expressions  signify  goods  from  the  celestial  things  of  love,  is 
evident  from  various  passages  in  the  Word.  As  in  Jeremiah : — 

I  will  gather  the  remnants  of  My  flock  out  of  all  lands  whither  I  have 
scattered  them,  and  I  will  bring  them  again  to  their  folds,  that  they  may 
be  fruitful  and  multiply  (xxiii.  3). 

In  Ezekiel : — 

I  will  feed  them  in  a  good  pasture,  and  upon  the  mountains  of  the 
height  of  Israel  shall  their  fold  be  ;  there  shall  they  lie  down  in  a  good 
fold,  and  in  a  fat  pasture  shall  they  feed  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel 
(xxxiv.  14), 

where  "  folds"  and  "  pastures"  denote  the  goods  of  love,  of 
which  "  fatness"  is  predicated.  In  Isaiah : — 

He  shall  give  the  rain  of  thy  seed  wherewith  thou  shalt  sow  the 
ground  ;  and  bread  of  the  increase  of  the  ground  shall  be  fat  and  full  of 
oil ;  in  that  day  shall  He  feed  thy  cattle  in  a  broad  meadow  (xxx.  23), 

where  by  "  bread"  is  signified  what  is  celestial,  and  by  the 
"  fat"  whereon  the  cattle  should  feed,  the  goods  thence  derived. 
In  Jeremiah : — 

Jehovah  hath  redeemed  Jacob,  and  they  shall  come  and  sing  in  the 
height  of  Zion,  and  shall  flow  together  to  the  good  of  Jehovah,  for  the 
wheat,  and  for  the  new  wine,  and  for  the  oil,  and  for  the  sons  o£  the 


N.  415]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  20  179 

flock,  and  of  the  herd ;  and  their  soul  shall  be  as  a  watered  garden  (xxxi. 
11,  12), 

where  the  Holy  of  Jehovah  is  described  by  "  wheat"  and  "  oil," 
and  the  goods  derived  from  it  by  "  new  wine"  and  the  "  sons 
of  the  flock  and  of  the  herd,"  or  of  "  cattle."  Again  : — 

The  shepherds  and  the  flocks  of  their  cattle  shall  come  unto  the 
daughter  of  Zion  ;  they  shall  pitch  their  tents  toward  her  round  about ; 
they  shall  feed  every  one  his  own  space  (vi.  3). 

The  "  daughter  of  Zion"  denotes  the  celestial  church,  of  which 
"  tents"  and  "  flocks  of  cattle"  are  predicated. 

416.  That  the  holy  things  of  love  and  the  derivative  goods 
are  signified,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  Jabal  was  not  the 
first  of  those  who  "  dwelt  in  tents  and  in  folds  of  cattle,"  for  it 
is  said  likewise  of  Abel,  the  second  son  of  Adam  and  Eve,  that 
he  was  "  a  shepherd  of  the  flock,"  and  Jabal  was  the  seventh 
in  the  order  of  descent  from  Cain. 

417.  Verse  21.  And  his  toother's  name  was  Jubal ;  he  was 
the  father  of  every  one  that  playeth  upon  the  harp  and  organ. 
By  "  his  brother's  name  was  Jubal"  is  signified  the  doctrine 
of  the  spiritual  things  of  the  same  church ;  by  the  "  father  of 
every  one  that  playeth  upon  the  harp  and  organ"  are  signified 
the  truths  and  goods  of  faith. 

418.  The  former  verse  treated  of  celestial  things  which  are 
of  love,  but  this  verse  treats  of  spiritual  things  which  are  of 
faith,  and  these  are  expressed  by  the  "  harp  and  organ."    That 
by  stringed  instruments,  such  as  harps  and  the  like,  are  signi- 
fied the  spiritual  things  of  faith,  is  evident  from  many  consid- 
erations.    Similar  instruments,  and  also  the  singing,  in  the 
worship  of  the  representative  church,  represented  nothing  else, 
and  it  was  on  this  account  that  there  were  so  many  singers 
and  musicians,  the  cause  of  this  representation  being  that  all 
heavenly  joy  produces  gladness  of  heart,  which  was  expressed 
by  singing,  and  in  the  next  place  by  stringed  instruments  that 
emulated  and  exalted  the  singing.    Every  affection  of  the  heart 
is   attended  with  this  :  that   it  produces  singing,  and  conse- 
quently what  is  connected  with  singing.     The  affection  of  the 
heart  is  celestial,  but  the  consequent  singing  is  spiritual.    That 
singing  and  that  which  resembles  it  denote  what  is  spiritual, 
has  been  evident  to  me  from  the  angelic  choirs,  which  are  of 


180  GENESIS  [N.  418 

two  kinds,  celestial  and  spiritual.  The  spiritual  choirs  are 
easily  distinguished  from  the  celestial  by  their  vibrant  singing 
tone  (sono  canoro  alato),  comparable  to  the  sound  of  stringed 
instruments,  of  which,  by  the  Divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  we 
shall  speak  hereafter.  The  most  ancient  people  referred  what 
was  celestial  to  the  province  of  the  heart,  and  what  was 
spiritual  to  that  of  the  lungs,  and  consequently  to  whatever 
pertains  to  the  lungs,  as  do  the  singing  voice  and  things  like 
it,  and  therefore  the  voices  or  sounds  of  such  instruments. 
The  ground  of  this  was  not  merely  that  the  heart  and  lungs 
represent  a  kind  of  marriage,  like  that  of  love  and  faith,  but 
also  because  the  celestial  angels  belong  to  the  province  of  the 
heart,  and  the  spiritual  angels  to  that  of  the  lungs.  That  such 
things  are  meant  in  the  passage  before  us,  may  also  be  known 
from  the  fact  that  this  is  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  and  that  it 
would  be  destitute  of  life  if  nothing  more  were  implied  than 
that  Jubal  was  the  father  of  such  as  play  upon  the  harp  and 
the  organ ;  nor  is  it  of  any  use  to  any  one  to  know  this. 

419.  As  celestial  things  are  the  holy  things  of  love  and  the 
derivative  goods,  so  spiritual  things  are  the  truths  and  goods 
of  faith ;  for  it  belongs  to  faith  to  understand  not  only  what 
is  true,  but  also  what  is  good.    The  knowledges  of  faith  involve 
both.     But  to  be  such  as  faith  teaches  is  celestial.     As  faith 
involves  both  of  these,  they  are  signified  by  two  instruments, 
the  harp  and  the  organ.     The  harp,  as  every  one  knows,  is  a 
stringed  instrument,  and  therefore  signifies  spiritual  truth ; 
but  the  organ,  being  intermediate  between  a  stringed  instru- 
ment and  a  wind  instrument,  signifies  spiritual  good. 

420.  In  the  Word  mention  is  made  of  various  instruments, 
each  having  its   own  signification,  as  will  be  shown,  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  mercy,  in  its  proper  place ;  here  however  we 
shall  adduce  only  what  is  said  in  David : — 

I  will  sacrifice  in  the  tent  of  Jehovah  sacrifices  of  shouting,  I  will  sing, 
yea,  I  will  sing  praises  unto  Jehovah  (Ps.  xxvii.  6), 

where  by  "  tent"  is  expressed  what  is  celestial,  and  by  "  shout- 
ing," "  singing,"  and  "  singing  praises,"  what  is  spiritual  thence 
derived.  Again : — 

Sing  unto  Jehovah,  O  ye  righteous,  for  His  praise  is  comely  for  the  up- 
right   confess  ye  to  Jehovah  on  the  harp,  sing  unto  Him  with  the  psaltery, 


N.  420J  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  21  181 

an  instrument  of  ten  strings.  Sing  unto  Him  a  new  song,  play  skillfully 
with  a  loud  noise  ;  for  the  Word  of  Jehovah  is  right,  and  all  His  work  is 
in  the  truth  (Ps.  xxxiii.  1-4), 

denoting  the  truths  of  faith,  concerning  which  these  things  are 
said.  [2]  Spiritual  things,  or  the  truths  and  goods  of  faith, 
were  celebrated  with  the  harp  and  psaltery,  with  singing  and 
analogous  instruments,  but  the  holy  or  celestial  things  of  faith 
were  celebrated  with  wind  instruments,  such  as  trumpets  and 
the  like ;  and  this  was  why  so  many  instruments  were  used  about 
the  temple  and  so  often,  in  order  that  this  or  that  subject 
might  be  celebrated  with  certain  instruments ;  and  in  conse- 
quence of  this  the  instruments  came  to  be  taken  and  under- 
stood for  the  subjects  that  were  celebrated  with  them.  [3] 
Again  : — 

I  will  confess  to  Thee  with  the  psaltery,  even  Thy  truth,  0  my  God  ; 
unto  Thee  will  I  sing  praises  with  the  harp,  0  Thou  Holy  One  of  Israel  ; 
my  lips  shall  sing  when  I  sing  praises  unto  Thee,  and  my  soul  which  Thou 
hast  redeemed  (Ps.  Ixxi.  22,  23), 

where  also  the  truths  of  faith  are  signified.     Again : — 

Answer  to  Jehovah  in  confession,  sing  praises  upon  tk.3  harp  unto  OUT 
God  (cxlvii.  7)  ; 

"  confession"  has  respect  to  the  celestial  things  of  faith,  and 
therefore  mention  is  made  of  "Jehovah;"  and  to  "sing 
praises  upon  the  harp"  has  reference  to  the  spiritual  things  of 
faith,  wherefore  "  God"  is  spoken  of.  Again : — 

Let  them  praise  the  name  of  Jehovah  in  the  dance,  let  them  sing 
praises  unto  Him  with  the  timbrel  and  harp  (cxlix.  3), 

where  the  "timbrel"  signifies  good,  and  the  "harp"  truth, 
which  they  praise.  [4]  Again  : — 

Praise  God  with  the  sound  of  the  trumpet ;  praise  Him  with  the  psal- 
tery and  harp  ;  praise  Him  with  the  timbrel  and  dance  ;  praise  Him  with 
stringed  instruments  and  the  organ  ;  praise  Him  upon  the  loud  cymbals  ; 
praise  Him  upon  the  cymbals  of  shouting  (cl.  3,  4,  5). 

These  instruments  denote  the  goods  and  the  truths  of  faith 
which  were  the  subjects  of  praise  ;  for  let  no  one  believe  that  so 
many  different  instruments  would  have  been  here  mentioned 
unless  each  had  a  distinct  signification.  Again,  referring  to 
the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth : — 


182  GENESIS  [N.  420 

0  send  out  Thy  light  and  Thy  truth,  let  them  lead  me,  let  them  bring 
me  unto  the  mountain  of  Thy  holiness,  and  to  Thy  habitations,  and  I 
will  go  in  to  the  altar  of  God,  unto  God,  the  gladness  of  my  exultation  ; 
yea,  I  will  confess  unto  Thee  upon  the  harp,  O  God,  my  God  (Ps.  xliii. 
3,4). 

[5]  In  Isaiah,  referring  to  the  things  that  are  of  faith,  and  the 
knowledges  thereof : — 

Take  a  harp,  go  about  the  city,  play  well,  sing  many  songs,  that  thou 
mayest  be  called  to  remembrance  (xxiii.  16). 

The  same  is  expressed  still  more  plainly  in  John : — 

The  four  animals  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders  fell  down  before  the 
Lamb,  having  every  one  of  them  harps,  and  golden  vials  full  of  incense 
offerings,  which  are  the  prayers  of  the  saints  (Rev.  v.  8), 

where  it  must  be  evident  to  every  one  that  the  animals  and 
elders  had  not  harps,  but  that  by  "  harps"  are  signified  the 
truths  of  faith,  and  by  "  golden  vials  full  of  incense  offerings," 
the  goods  of  faith.  In  David  the  performances  on  the  instru- 
ments are  called  "  praises"  and  "  confessions"  (Ps.  xlii.  5 ;  Ixix. 
31).  And  in  another  place  in  John : — 

1  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  I  heard 
the  voice  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps,  and  they  sang  a  new  song 
(Rev.  xiv.  2,  3). 

And  in  another  place  : — 

I  saw  them  standing  by  the  sea  of  glass  having  the  harps  of  God  (Rev. 
xv.  2). 

It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  angels  and  spirits  distinguish 
sounds  according  to  their  differences  with  respect  to  good  and 
truth,  not  only  those  produced  in  singing  and  by  instruments, 
but  also  those  of  voices ;  and  they  admit  none  but  such  as  are 
in  accord,  so  that  there  may  be  a  concord  of  the  sounds,  and 
consequently  of  the  instruments,  with  the  nature  and  essence 
of  the  good  and  the  true. 

421.  Verse  22.  And  Zillah,  she  also  bare  Tttbal-Cain,  an 
instructor  of  every  artificer  in  brass  and  iron  ;  and  the  sister  of 
Tubal-Cain  was  Naamah.  By  "  Zillah"  is  signified,  as  pre- 
viously stated,  the  mother  of  the  natural  things  of  the  new 
church ;  by  "  Tubal-Cain,  an  instructor  of  every  artificer  in 
brass  and  iron,"  the  doctrine  of  natural  good  and  truth, 
u  brass''  denoting  natural  good,  and  "  iron"  natural  truth.  By 


N.  421]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  22  183 

"Naamah,  the  sister  of  Tubal-Cain,"  is  signified  a  similar 
church,  or  the  doctrine  of  natural  good  and  truth  outside  of 
that  church. 

422.  How  the  case  was  with  this  new  church  may  be  seen 
from  the  Jewish  Church,  which  was  both  internal  and  exter- 
nal ;  the  internal  church  consisting  of  celestial  and  spiritual 
things,  and  the  external  church  of  natural  things.     The  inter- 
nal church  was  represented  by  Kachel,  and  the  external  by 
Leah.     But  as  Jacob,  or  rather  his  posterity  understood  by 
"  Jacob"  in  the  Word,  were  such  as  to  desire  only  external 
things,  or  worship  in  externals,  therefore  Leah  was  given  to 
Jacob  before  Rachel ;  and  by  blear-eyed  Leah  was  represented 
the  Jewish  Church,  and  by  Kachel  a  new  church  of  the  Gen- 
tiles.    For  this  reason  "  Jacob"  is  taken  in  both  senses  in  the 
Prophets,  in  one  denoting  the  Jewish  Church  in  its  perverted 
state,  and  in  the  other  the  true  external  church  of  the  Gentiles. 
When  the  internal  church  is  signified,  he  is  called  "  Israel ;" 
but  of  these  matters,  by  the  Divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  more 
will  be  said  hereafter. 

423.  Tubal-Cain  is  called  the  "  instructor  of  every  artificer," 
and  not  the  "  father,"  as  was  the  case  with  Jabal  and  Jubal ; 
and  the  reason  is  that  before  there  were  no  celestial  and  spir- 
itual or  internal  things.     And  the  term  "  father"  is  applied  to 
Jabal  and  Jubal,  to  denote  that  such  internal  things  then  first 
began  to  exist ;  whereas  natural  or  external  things  did  exist 
before,  but  were  now  applied  to  internal  things,  so  that  Tubal- 
Cain  is  not  called  the  "  father,"  but  the  "  instructor,  of  every 
artificer." 

424.  By  an  "  artificer"  in  the  Word  is  signified  a  wise,  in- 
telligent, and  well-informed  (sciens)  man,  and  here  by  "  every 
artificer  in  brass  and  iron"  are  signified  those  who  are  ac- 
quainted with  natural  good  and  truth.     As  in  John : — 

With  violence  shall  that  great  city  Babylon  be  thrown  down,  and  shall 
be  found  no  more  at  all.  And  the  voice  of  harpers,  and  musicians,  and 
of  pipers,  and  trumpeters,  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  her ;  and  no 
artificer,  of  whatsoever  craft,  shall  be  found  any  more  in  her  (Eev.  xviii. 
21,  22). 

"  Harpers'"  here  as  above  signify  truths ;  "  trumpeters,"  the 
goods  of  faith ;  an  "  artificer  of  any  craft,"  one  who  knows,  or 


184  GENESIS  [N.  424 

the  memory-knowledge  (scientia)  of  truth  and  good.  In 
Isaiah : — 

The  artificer  melteth  a  graven  image,  and  the  smelter  spreadeth  it 
over  with  gold,  and  casteth  silver  chains  ;  he  seeketh  unto  him  a  wise  ar- 
tificer, to  prepare  a  graven  image  that  shall  not  be  moved  (xl.  19,  20), 

speaking  of  those  who  from  phantasy  forge  for  themselves  what 
is  false — a  "  graven  image" — and  teach  it  so  that  it  appears 
true.  In  Jeremiah : — 

At  the  same  time  as  they  are  infatuated  they  grow  foolish,  the  doc- 
trine of  vanities,  it  is  but  a  stock.  Silver  beaten  out  is  brought  from 
Tarshish,  and  gold  from  Upliaz,  the  work  of  the  artificer,  and  of  the 
hands  of  the  smelter ;  blue  and  raiment ;  they  are  all  the  work  of  the 
wise  (x.  1,  8,  9), 

signifying  one  who  teaches  falsities,  and  collects  from  the 
Word  things  with  which  to  forge  his  invention,  wherefore  it 
is  called  a  "  doctrine  of  vanities,"  and  the  "  work  of  the  wise." 
Such  persons  were  represented  in  ancient  times  by  artificers 
who  forge  idols,  that  is,  falsities,  which  they  adorn  with  gold, 
that  is,  with  a  semblance  of  good ;  and  with  silver,  or  an 
appearance  of  truth ;  and  with  blue  and  with  raiment,  or  such 
natural  things  as  are  in  apparent  agreement. 

425.  It  is  unknown  to  the  world  at  the  present  day  that 
"  brass"  signifies  natural  good,  and  also  that  every  metal  men- 
tioned in  the  Word  has  a  specific  signification  in  the  internal 
sense — as  "  gold,"  celestial  good ;  "  silver,"  spiritual  truth ; 
"  brass,"  natural  good ;  "  iron,"  natural  truth ;  and  so  on  with 
the  other  metals,  and  in  like  manner  "wood"  and  "stone." 
Such  things  were  signified  by  the  "gold,"  "silver,"  "brass," 
and  "wood,"  used  in  the  ark  and  in  the  tabernacle  and  in 
the  temple,  concerning  which,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy 
hereafter.  That  such  is  their  signification  is  manifest  from 
the  Prophets,  as  from  Isaiah  : — 

Thou  shalt  also  suck  the  milk  of  the  Gentiles,  and  shalt  suck  the  breast 
of  kings.  For  brass  I  will  bring  gold,  and  for  iron  I  will  bring  silver,  and 
for  wood  brass,  and  for  stones  iron  ;  I  will  also  make  thy  tribute  peace, 
and  thine  exactors  righteousness  (Ix.  16,  17), 

treating  of  the  Lord's  advent,  of  His  kingdom,  and  of  the 
celestial  church.  "  For  brass  gold,"  signifies  for  natural  good 
celestial  good ;  "  for  iron  silver,"  signifies  for  natural  truth 


N.  425]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  22  185 

spiritual  truth ;  "  for  wood  brass,"  signifies  for  corporeal  good 
natural  good ;  "  for  stones  iron,"  signifies  for  sensuous  truth 
natural  truth.  In  Ezekiel : — 

Javan,  Tubal,  and  Meshech,  these  were  thy  merchants,  in  the  soul  of 
man,  and  vessels  of  brass  they  gave  thy  trading  (xxvii.  13), 

speaking  of  Tyre,  by  which  are  signified  those  who  possess 
spiritual  and  celestial  riches ;  "  vessels  of  brass"  are  natural 
goods.  In  Moses : — 

A  land  whose  stones  are  iron,  and  out  of  whose  mountains  thou  mayest 
hew  brass  (Deut.  viii.  9), 

where  also  "  stones"  denote  sensuous  truth ;  "  iron,"  natural, 
that  is,  rational  truth ;  and  "  brass,"  natural  good.  Ezekiel 
saw 

Four  living  creatures,  or  cherubs,  whose  feet  sparkled  like  the  appear- 
ance of  burnished  brass  (i.  7), 

where  again  "  brass"  signifies  natural  good,  for  the  "  foot"  of 
man  represents  what  is  natural.  In  like  manner  there  ap- 
peared to  Daniel, 

A  man  clothed  in  linen,  whose  loins  were  girded  with  gold  of  Uphaz, 
his  body  also  was  like  the  beryl,  and  his  arms  and  his  feet  like  the 
appearance  of  burnished  brass  (x.  5,  6). 

That  the  "brazen  serpent"  (Num.  xxi.  9)  represented  the 
sensuous  and  natural  good  of  the  Lord,  may  be  seen  above. 

426.  That  "  iron"  signifies  natural  truth,  is  further  evident 
from  what  Ezekiel  says  of  Tyre : — 

Tarshish  was  thy  trader  by  reason  of  the  multitude  of  all  riches  ;  in 
silver,  iron,  tin,  and  lead,  they  gave  thy  traffickings.  Dan,  and  Javan, 
and  Meusal  furnished  bright  iron  in  thy  tradings ;  cassia  and  calamus 
were  in  thy  mart  (xxvii.  12,  19). 

From  these  words,  as  well  as  from  what  is  said  both  previously 
and  subsequently  in  the  same  chapter,  it  is  very  evident  that 
celestial  and  spiritual  riches  are  signified ;  and  that  every  par- 
ticular expression,  and  even  the  names  mentioned,  have  some 
specific  signification,  for  the  Word  of  the  Lord  is  spiritual, 
and  not  verbal.  [2]  In  Jeremiah : — 

Can  one  break  iron,  even  iron  from  the  north,  and  brass  ?  Thy  sub- 
stance (J&ci'ltates)  and  thy  treasures  will  I  give  for  a  spoil  without  price, 
and  this  ioi  all  thy  sins  (xv.  12,  13), 


186  GENESIS  IN  426 

where  "iron"  and  "brass"  signify  natural  truth  and  good; 
that  it  came  from  the  "  north,"  signifies  what  is  sensuous  and 
natural ;  for  what  is  natural,  relatively  to  what  is  spiritual  and 
celestial,  is  like  thick  darkness  (that  is,  the  "  north")  relatively 
to  light  or  the  "  south ;"  or  like  shade,  which  is  also  signified 
here  by  "  Zillah,"  who  is  the  "  mother."  That  the  "  substance" 
and  "  treasures"  are  celestial  and  spiritual  riches,  is  also  very 
evident.  [3]  Again  in  Ezekiel : — 

Take  thou  unto  thee  a  pan  of  iron,  and  set  it  for  a  wall  of  iron  be- 
tween thee  and  the  city,  and  set  thy  faces  toward  it,  and  let  it  be  for  a 
siege,  and  thou  shalt  straiten  against  it  (iv.  3), 

where  also  it  is  evident  that  "  iron"  signifies  truth.  Strength 
is  attributed  to  truth,  because  it  cannot  be  resisted,  and  for 
this  reason  it  is  said  of  iron — by  which  is  signified  truth,  or 
the  truth  of  faith — that  it  "  breaks  in  pieces"  and  "  crushes  ;" 
as  in  Daniel  (ii.  34,  40),  and  in  John : — 

He  that  overcometh,  to  him  will  I  give  sovereign  power  over  the 
nations,  that  he  may  pasture  them  with  a  rod  of  iron  ;  as  the  vessels  of 
a  potter  shall  they  be  broken  to  shivers  (Rev.  ii.  26,  27). 

Again : — 

The  woman  brought  forth  a  man  child,  who  should  pasture  all  nations 
with  a  rod  of  iron  (Rev.  xii.  5). 

[4]  That  a  "  rod  of  iron"  is  the  truth  which  is  of  the  Word 
of  the  Lord,  is  explained  in  John : — 

I  saw  heaven  open,  and  behold  a  white  horse,  and  He  that  sat  upon 
him  was  called  Faithful  and  True,  and  in  righteousness  He  doth  judge 
and  fight ;  He  was  clothed  with  a  vesture  dipped  in  blood,  and  His  name 
is  called  the  Word  of  God  ;  out  of  His  mouth  goeth  a  sharp  sword,  that 
with  it  He  should  smite  the  nations  ;  and  He  shall  pasture  them  with  a 
rod  of  iron  (Rev.  xix.  11,  13,  15). 

427.  Verse  23.  And  Lamech  said  unto  his  wives,  Adah  and 
Zillah,  Hear  my  voice,  ye  wives  of  Lamech,  and  with  your  ears 
perceive  my  speech  ;  for  I  have  slain  a  man  to  my  wounding, 
and  a  little  one  to  my  hurt.  By  "  Lamech"  is  signified  vasta- 
tion,  as  before ;  that  he  "  said  unto  his  wives  Adah  and  Zillah, 
With  your  ears  perceive  rny  speech,"  signifies  confession,  which 
can  only  be  made  where  there  is  a  church,  which,  as  has  been 
said,  is  signified  by  his  "  wives. "  "  I  have  slain  a  man  to  my 


N.  427]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  23  187 

wounding,"  signifies  that  he  had  extinguished  faith,  for  by  a 
"  man"  is  signified  faith ;  "  a  little  one  to  my  hurt,"  signifies 
that  he  had  extinguished  charity.  By  a  "  wound"  and  a  "  hurt" 
(or  "  bruise")  is  signified  that  there  was  no  more  soundness ; 
by  a  "wound,"  that  faith  was  desolated;  by  a  "hurt,"  that 
charity  was  devastated. 

428.  From  the  contents  of  this  and  the  following  verse,  it 
is  very  evident  that  by  "  Lamech"  is  signified  vastation ;  for 
he  says  that  he  had  "  slain  a  man,"  and  a  "  little  child,"  and 
that  Cain  should  be  avenged  sevenfold,  and  Lamech  "  seventy 
and  sevenfold." 

429.  That  by  a  "man  (vir")"  is  signified  faith,  is  evident 
from  the  first  verse  of  this  chapter,  in  that  Eve  said,  when  she 
bare  Cain,  "  I  have  gotten  a  man  Jehovah ;"  by  whom  was 
meant  the  doctrine  of  faith,  called  a  "  man  Jehovah."     It  is 
evident  also  from  what  was  shown  above  concerning  a  man  or 
male,  that  he  signifies  understanding,  which  is  of  faith.    That 
he  had  also  extinguished  charity,  here  called  a  "  little  one,"  or 
a  "  little  child,"  follows,  for  he  who  denies  and  murders  faith, 
at  the  same  time  also  denies  and  murders  the  charity  that  is 
born  from  faith. 

430.  A  "little  one,"  or  "little  child,"  in  the  Word, signifies 
innocence,  and  also  charity,  for  true  innocence  cannot  exist 
without  charity,  nor  true  charity  without  innocence.     There 
are  three  degrees  of  innocence,  distinguished  in  the  Word  by 
the  terms  "  sucklings,"  "  infants,"  and  "  little  children ;"  and 
as  there  is  no  true  innocence  without  true  love  and  charity, 
therefore  also  by  "  sucklings,"  "  infants,"  and  "  little  children," 
are  signified  the  three  degrees  of  love :  namely,  tender  love, 
like  that  of  a  suckling  toward  its  mother  or  nurse ;  love  like 
that  of  an  infant  toward  its  parents ;  and  charity,  similar  to 
that  of  a  little  child  toward  its  instructor.      Thus  it  is  said  in 
Isaiah : — 

The  wolf  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  shall  lie  down 
with  the  kid  ;  and  the  calf,  and  the  young  lion,  and  the  falling  together, 
and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them  (xi.  6). 

Here  a  "  lamb,"  a  "  kid,"  and  a  "  calf,"  signify  the  three  de- 
grees of  innocence  and  love ;  a  "  wolf,"  a  "  leopard,"  and  a 


138  GENESIS  [N.  430 

"  young  lion,"  their  opposites  ;  and  a  "  little  child,"  charity.  In 
Jeremiah : — 

Ye  commit  this  great  evil  against  your  souls,  to  cut  off  from  you  man 
and  wife,  infant  and  suckling,  out  of  the  midst  of  Judah,  to  leave  you 
no  remains  (xliv.  7). 

"  Man  and  wife"  denote  things  of  the  understanding  and  of 
the  will,  or  of  truth  and  of  good ;  and  "  infant  and  suckling," 
the  first  degrees  of  love.  That  an  "  infant"  and  a  "  little  child" 
denote  innocence  and  charity,  is  very  evident  from  the  Lord's 
words  in  Luke  : — 

They  brought  unto  Him  little  children  that  He  should  touch  them. 
And  Jesus  said,  Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  Me,  and  forbid  them 
not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Who- 
soever shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  shall  in  no 
wise  enter  therein  (xviii.  15,  17). 

The  Lord  Himself  is  called  a  "  little  one,"  or  "  child"  (Isa.  ix. 
6),  because  He  is  innocence  itself  and  love  itself,  and  in  the 
same  passage  He  is  spoken  of  as  "  Wonderful,  Counselor,  God, 
Hero,  Father  of  Eternity,  Prince  of  Peace." 

431.  That  by  a  "wound"  and  a  "bruise"  is  signified  that 
there  was  soundness  no  longer,  by  a  "  wound"  that  faith  was 
desolated,  and  by  a  "  bruise"  that  charity  was  devastated,  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  "  wound"  is  predicated  of  a  "  man," 
and  "  bruise"  of  a  "  little  one."      The  desolation  of  faith  and 
the  vastation  of  charity  are  described  in  the  same  terms  in 
Isaiah : — 

From  the  sole  of  the  foot  even  unto  the  head  there  is  no  soundness  in 
it ;  but  wound  and  bruise  and  a  fresh  sore  ;  they  have  not  been  pressed 
out,  neither  bound  up,  neither  mollified  with  oil  (i.  6). 

In  this  passage  "wound"  is  predicated  of  faith  desolated, 
"  bruise"  of  charity  devastated,  and  "  sore"  of  both. 

432.  Verse  24.  If  Cain  shall  be  avenged  sevenfold,  truly  La- 
mech  seventy  and  sevenfold.     These  words  signify  that  they 
had  extinguished  the  faith  meant  by  "  Cain,"  to  do  violence 
to  which  was  sacrilege,  and  at  the  same  time  had  extinguished 
the  charity  which  should  be  born  through  faith,  a  far  greater 
sacrilege,  and  that  for  this  there  was  condemnation,  that  is,  a 

seventy  and  sevenfold  avengement." 


N.  433]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  24  189 

433.  That  Cain's  being  "avenged  sevenfold"  signifies  that 
it  was  sacrilege  to  do  violence  to  that  separated  faith  which  is 
meant  by  "  Cain,"  has  been  already  shown  at  verse  15.     And 
that  by  a  "  seventy  and  sevenfold  avengement"  is  signified  a 
far  greater  sacrilege  the  consequence  of  which  is  damnation, 
is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  seventy  and  sevenfold." 
That  the  number  "  seven"  is  holy,  originates  in  the  fact  that 
the  "seventh  day"  signifies  the  celestial  man,  the  celestial 
church,  the  celestial  kingdom,  and,  in  the  highest  sense,  the 
Lord  Himself.     Hence  the  number  "  seven,"  wherever  it  oc- 
curs in  the  Word,  signifies  what  is  holy,  or  most  sacred ;  and 
this  holiness  and  sanctity  is  predicated  of,  or  according  to,  the 
things  that  are  being  treated  of.     From  this  comes  the  signifi- 
cation of  the  number  "  seventy,"  which  comprises  seven  ages  ; 
for  an  age,  in  the  Word,  is  ten  years.     When  anything  most 
holy  or  sacred  was  to  be  expressed,  it  was  said  "  seventy-seven- 
fold," as  when  the  Lord  said  that  a  man  should  forgive  his 
brother  not  until  seven  times,  but  until  seventy  times  seven 
(Matt,  xviii.  22),  by  which  is  meant  that  they  should  forgive 
as  many  times  as  he  sins,  so  that  the  forgiving  should  be  with- 
out end,  or  should  be  eternal,  which  is  holy.     And  here,  that 
Lamech  should  "be  avenged  seventy  and  sevenfold"  means 
damnation,  because  of   the  violation  of   that  which  is  most 
sacred. 

434.  Verse  25.  And  the  man  (homo)  knew  his  wife  again, 
and  she  bare  a  son,  and  called  his  name  Seth  ;  for   God  hath 
appointed  me  another  seed  instead  of  Abel,  for  Cain  slew  him. 
The  "  man"  and  his  "  wife"  here  mean  the  new  church  signi- 
fied above  by  "  Adah  and  Zillah ;"  and  by  her  "  son,"  whose 
name  was  Seth,  is  signified  a  new  faith,  by  which  charity  might 
be   obtained.     By  "  God   appointed  another  seed  instead  of 
Abel,  whom  Cain  slew,"  is  signified  that  charity,  which  Cain 
had  separated  and  extinguished,  was  now  given  by  the  Lord 
to  this  church. 

435.  That  the  "man"  and  his  "wife"  here  mean  the  new 
church  signified  above  by  Adah  and  Zillah  no  one  could  know 
or  infer  from  the  literal  sense,  because  the  "  man  and  his  wife" 
had  previously  signified  the  Most  Ancient  Church  and  its  pos- 
terity ;  but  it  is  very  evident  from  the  internal  sense,  as  well 


190  GENESIS  [N.  435 

as  from  the  fact  that  immediately  afterwards,  in  the  following 
chapter  (verses  1-4),  the  man  and  his  wife,  and  their  begetting 
Seth,  are  again  mentioned,  but  in  entirely  different  words,  and 
in  this  case  there  is  signified  the  first  posterity  of  the  Most 
Ancient  Church.  If  nothing  else  were  signified  in  the  pas- 
sage before  us,  there  would  be  no  need  to  say  the  same  thing 
here  :  in  like  manner  as  in  the  first  chapter  the  creation  of  man, 
and  of  the  frui'ts  of  the  earth,  and  of  the  beasts,  is  treated  of, 
and  then  in  the  second  chapter  they  are  treated  of  again,  for 
the  reason,  as  has  been  said,  that  in  the  first  chapter  it  is  the 
creation  of  the  spiritual  man  that  is  treated  of,  whereas  in  the 
second  chapter  the  subject  is  the  creation  of  the  celestial  man. 
Whenever  there  is  such  a  repetition  in  the  mention  of  one  and 
the  same  person  or  thing,  it  is  always  with  a  difference  of  sig- 
nification, but  what  it  is  that  is  signified  cannot  possibly  be 
known  except  from  the  internal  sense.  Here,  the  connection 
itself  confirms  the  signification  that  has  been  given,  and  there 
is  the  additional  consideration  that  man  (homo)  and  wife  are 
general  terms  which  signify  the  parent  church  that  is  in. 
question. 

436.  That  by  her  "  son,"  whom  she  named  Seth,  is  signified 
a  new  faith,  by  which  charity  may  be  attained,  is  evident  from 
what  has  been  previously  stated,  as  well  as  from  its  being  re- 
lated of  Cain  that  a  "mark  was  set  upon  him,  lest  any  one 
should  slay  him."  For  the  subject  as  it  stands  in  a  series  is  as 
follows  :  Faith  separated  from  love  was  signified  by  "  Cain ;" 
charity,  by  "  Abel ;"  and  that  faith  in  its  separated  state  ex- 
tinguished charity,  was  signified  by  Cain  slaying  Abel.  The 
preservation  of  faith  in  order  that  charity  might  be  thereby 
implanted  by  the  Lord,  was  signified  by  Jehovah's  setting  a 
mark  on  Cain  lest  any  one  should  slay  him.  That  afterwards 
the  Holy  of  love  and  the  good  thence  derived  were  given  by 
the  Lord  through  faith,  was  signified  by  Jabal  whom  Adah 
bare ;  and  that  the  spiritual  of  faith  was  given,  was  signified, 
by  his  brother  Jubal ;  and  that  from  these  there  came  natural 
good  and  truth  was  signified  by  Tubal-Cain  whom  Zillah  bare. 
In  these  two  concluding  verses  of  Genesis  iv.  we  have  the  con- 
clusion, and  thus  the  summary,  of  all  these  matters,  to  this 
effect,  that  by  the  "  man  and  his  wife"  is  signified  that  new 


N.  436]  CHAPTER   IV.  VER.  25  191 

church  which  before  was  called  Adah  and  Zillah,  and  that  by 
"  Seth"  is  signified  the  faith  through  which  charity  is  im- 
planted ;  and  in  the  verse  which  now  follows,  by  "  Enosh"  is 
signified  the  charity  that  is  implanted  through  faith. 

437.  That  "  Seth"  here  signifies  a  new  faith,  through  which 
comes  charity,  is  explained  by  his  name,  which  it  is  said  was 
given  him  because  God  "appointed  another  seed  instead  of 
Abel,  whom  Cain  slew."     That  God  "  appointed  another  seed" 
means  that  the  Lord  gave  another  faith ;  for  "  another  seed" 
is  the  faith  through  which  comes  charity.     That  "  seed"  signi- 
fies faith,  may  be  seen  above  (n.  255). 

438.  Verse  26.  And  to  Seth,  to  him  also  there  was  born  a 
son ;  and  he  called  his  name  Enosh :  then  began  they  to  call 
upon  the  name  of  Jehovah.     By  "  Seth"  is  signified  the  faith 
through  which  comes  charity,  as  was  said  above ;  by  his  "  son," 
whose  name  was  "  Enosh,"  is  signified  a  church  which  regarded 
charity  as  the  principal  of  faith ;  by  beginning  then  to  "  call  on 
the  name  of  Jehovah,"  is  signified  the  worship  of  that  church 
from  charity. 

439.  That  by  "  Seth"  is  signified  the  faith  through  which 
comes  charity,  was  shown  in  the  preceding  verse.     That  by 
his  "  son,  whose  name  was  Enosh,"  is  signified  a  church  that 
regarded  charity  as  the  principal  of  faith,  is  also  evident  from 
what  has  been  said  before,  as  well  as  from  the  fact  that  it  is 
called  "  Enosh,"  which  name  also  means  a  "  man,"  not  a  celes- 
tial man,  but  that  human  spiritual  man  which  is  here  called 
"  Enosh."     The  same  is  evident  also  from  the  words  that  im- 
mediately follow: — "then  began  they  to  call  upon  the  name 
of  Jehovah." 

440.  That  by  the  words  just  quoted  is  signified  the  worship 
of  that  church  from  charity,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  to 
"  call  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah"  is  a  customary  and  general 
form  of  speech  for  all  worship  of  the  Lord;    and  that  this 
worship  was  from  charity  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  "  Jeho- 
vah" is  here  mentioned,  whereas  in  the  preceding  verse  He 
was  called  "  God,"  as  well  as  from  the  fact  that  the  Lord  can- 
not be  worshiped  except  from  charity,  since  true  worship  can- 
not proceed  from  faith  that  is  not  of  charity,  because  it  is 
merely  of  the  lips,  and  not  of  the  heart.     That  to  "  call  on 


192  GENESIS  [N.  440 

the  name  of  Jehovah"  is  a  customary  form  of  speech  for  all 
worship  of  the  Lord,  appears  from  the  Word ;  thus  it  is  said 
of  Abraham,  that  "  he  built  an  altar  to  Jehovah,  and  called  on 
the  name  of  Jehovah"  (Gen.  xii.  8;  xiii.  4);  and  again,  that 
he  "planted  a  grove  in  Beersheba,  and  called  there  on  the 
name  of  Jehovah,  the  God  of  eternity"  (Gen.  xxi.  33).  That 
this  expression  includes  all  worship,  is  plain  from  Isaiah : — 

Jehovah  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  hath  said,  Thou  hast  not  called  upon 
Me,  O  Jacob,  but  thou  hast  been  weary  of  Me,  0  Israel.  Thou  hast  not 
brought  to  Me  the  small  cattle  of  thy  burnt-offerings,  neither  hast  thou 
honored  Me  with  thy  sacrifices.  I  have  not  caused  thee  to  serve  with  an 
offering,  nor  wearied  thee  with  incense  (xliii.  22,  23), 

in  which  passage  a  summary  is  given  of  all  representative 
worship. 

441.  That  the  invocation  of  the  name  of  Jehovah  did  not 
commence  at  this  time,  is  sufficiently  evident  from  what  has 
already  been  said  above  in  regard  to  the  Most  Ancient  Church, 
which  more  than  any  other  adored  and  worshiped  the  Lord ; 
and  also  from  the  fact  that  Abel  brought  an  offering  of  the 
firstlings  of  the  flock ;  so  that  in  this  passage  by  "  calling  upon 
the  name  of  Jehovah,"  nothing  else  is  signified  than  the  wor- 
ship of  the  new  church,  after  the  former  church  had  been  ex- 
tinguished by  those  who  are  called  "  Cain"  and  "  Lamech." 

442.  From  the  contents  of  this  chapter  as  above  explained, 
it  is  evident  that  in  the  most  ancient  time  there  were  many 
doctrines  and  heresies  separate  from  the  church,  each  one  of 
which  had  its  name,  which  separate  doctrines  and   heresies 
were  the  outcome  of  much  more  profound  thought  than  any 
at  the  present  day,  because  such  was  the  genius  of  the  men 
of  that  time. 

SOME  EXAMPLES  DRAWN  FROM  EXPERIENCE  WITH  SPIRITS  CON- 
CERNING WHAT  THEY  HAD  THOUGHT  DURING  THEIR  LIFE  IN 
THE  BODY  ABOUT  THE  SOUL  OR  SPIRIT. 

443.  In  the  other  life  it  is  given  to  perceive  clearly  what 
opinions  people  had  entertained  while  they  lived  in  the  body 
concerning  the  soul,  the  spirit,  and  the  life  after  death ;  for 
when  kept  in  a  state  resembling  that  of  the  body  they  think 


N.  443]  NATURE   OF  SPIRITS  193 

in  the  same  way,  and  their  thought  is  communicated  as  plainly 
as  if  they  spoke  aloud.  In  the  case  of  one  person,  not  long 
after  his  decease,  I  perceived  (what  he  himself  confessed)  that 
he  had  indeed  believed  in  the  existence  of  the  spirit,  but  had 
imagined  that  it  must  live  after  death  an  obscure  kind  of  life, 
because  if  the  life  of  the  body  were  withdrawn  there  would 
remain  nothing  but  what  is  dim  and  obscure ;  for  he  had  re- 
garded life  as  being  in  the  body,  and  therefore  he  had  thought 
of  the  spirit  as  being  a  phantom;  and  he  had  confirmed  him- 
self in  this  idea  from  seeing  that  brutes  also  have  life,  almost 
as  men  have  it.  He  now  marveled  that  spirits  and  angels 
live  in  the  greatest  light,  and  in  the  greatest  intelligence,  wis- 
dom, and  happiness,  attended  with  a  perception  so  perfect  that 
it  can  scarcely  be  described ;  consequently  that  their  life,  so 
far  from  being  obscure,  is  most  perfectly  clear  and  distinct. 

444.  Conversing  with  one  who  while  he  lived  in  this  world 
had  believed  that  the  spirit  has  no  extension,  and  on  that 
ground  would  admit  of  no  word  that  implied  extension,  I 
asked  him  what  he  now  thought  of  himself,  seeing  that  now 
he  was  a  soul  or  spirit,  and  possessed  sight,  hearing,  smell,  an 
exquisite  sense  of  touch,  desires,,  thoughts,  insomuch  that  he 
supposed  himself  to  be  exactly  as  if  in  the  body.  He  was 
kept  in  the  idea  which  he  had  when  he  had  so  thought  in  the 
world,  and  he  said  that  the  spirit  is  thought.  I  was  permitted 
to  ask  him  in  reply,  whether,  having  lived  in  the  world,  he 
was  not  aware  that  there  can  be  no  bodily  sight  without  an 
organ  of  vision  or  eye  ?  and  how  then  can  there  be  internal 
sight,  or  thought  ?  Must  it  not  have  some  organic  substance 
from  which  to  think  ?  He  then  acknowledged  that  while  in 
the  bodily  life  he  had  labored  under  the  delusion  that  the 
spirit  is  mere  thought,  devoid  of  everything  organic  or  ex. 
tended.  I  added  that  if  the  soul  or  spirit  were  mere  thought,, 
man  would  not  need  so  large  a  brain,  seeing  that  the  whole 
brain  is  the  organ  of  the  interior  senses ;  for  if  it  were  not  so 
the  skull  might  be  hollow,  and  the  thought  still  act  in  it  as  the 
spirit.  From  this  consideration  alone,  as  well  as  from  the 
operation  of  the  soul  into  the  muscles,  giving  rise  to  so  great 
a  variety  of  movements,  I  said  that  he  might  be  assured  that 
the  spirit  is  organic,  that  is.  an  organic  substance.  Where- 
VOL.  I.— 13 


194  GENESIS  [N.  444 

upon  he  confessed  his  error,  and  wondered  that  he  had  been 
so  foolish. 

445.  It  was  further  remarked,  that   the  learned  have  no 
other  belief  than  that  the  soul  which  is  to  live  after  death, 
that  is,  the  spirit,  is  abstract  thought.     This  is  very  manifest 
from  their  unwillingness  to  admit  of  any  term  that  implies 
extension  and  what  belongs  to  extension,  because  thought  ab- 
stractedly from  a  subject  is  not  extended,  whereas  the  subject 
of  the  thought,  and  the  objects  of  the  thought,  are  extended ; 
and  as  for  those  objects  which  are  not  extended,  men  define 
them  by  boundaries  and  give  extension  to  them,  in  order  that 
they  may  comprehend  them.     This  shows  very  clearly  that 
the  learned  have  no  other  conception  of  the  soul  or  spirit  than 
that  it  is  mere  thought,  and  so  cannot  but  believe  that  it  will 
vanish  when  they  die. 

446.  I  have  discoursed  with  spirits  concerning  the  common 
opinion  that  prevails  among  men  at  the  present  day,  that  the 
existence  of  the  spirit  is  not  to  be  credited  because  they  do 
not  see  it  with  their  eyes,  nor  comprehend  it  by  their  memory- 
knowledges  (scientias),  and   so  they  not  only  deny  that  the 
spirit  has  extension,  but  also  that  it  is  a  substance,  disputing 
as  to  what  substance  is.     And  as  they  deny  that  it  has  exten- 
sion, and  also  dispute  about  substance,  they  also  deny  that  the 
spirit  is  in  any  place,  and  consequently  that  it  is  in  the  human 
body ;  and  yet  the  most  simple  might  know  that  his  soul  or 
spirit  is  within  his  body.    When  I  said  these  things,  the  spirits, 
who  were  some  of  the  more  simple  ones,  marveled  that  the 
men  of  the  present  day  are  so  foolish.    And  when  they  heard 
the  words  that  are  disputed  about,  such  as  "parts  without 
parts,"  and  other  such  terms,  they  called  them  absurd,  ridicu- 
lous, and  farcical,  which  should  not  occupy  the  mind  at  all, 
because  they  close  the  way  to  intelligence. 

447.  A  certain  novitiate  spirit,  on  hearing  me  speak  about 
the  spirit,  asked,  "  What  is  a  spirit  ?"  supposing  himself  to  be 
a  man.     And  when  I  told  him  that  there  is  a  spirit  in  every 
man,  and  that  in  respect  to  his  life  a  man  is  a  spirit ;  that  the 
body  is  merely  to  enable  a  man  to  live  on  the  earth,  and  that 
the  flesh  and  bones,  that  is,  the  body,  does  not  live  or  think  at 
all ;  seeing  that  he  was  at  a  loss,  I  asked  him  whether  he  had 


N.  447]  NATURE   OF   SPIRITS  195 

ever  heard  of  the  soul.  "  What  is  a  soul  ?"  he  replied,  "  I  do 
not  know  what  a  soul  is."  I  was  then  permitted  to  tell  him 
that  he  himself  was  now  a  soul,  or  spirit,  as  he  might  know 
from  the  fact  that  he  was  over  my  head,  and  was  not  standing 
on  the  earth.  I  asked  him  whether  he  could  not  perceive  this, 
and  he  then  fled  away  in  terror,  crying  out,  "  I  am  a  spirit ! 
I  am  a  spirit !" 

A  certain  Jew  supposed  himself  to  be  living  wholly  in  the 
body,  insomuch  that  he  could  scarcely  be  persuaded  to  the  con- 
trary. And  when  he  was  shown  that  he  was  a  spirit,  he  still 
persisted  in  saying  that  he  was  a  man,  because  he  could  see 
and  hear.  Such  are  they  who,  during  their  abode  in  this 
world,  have  been  devoted  to  the  body. 

To  these  examples  very  many  more  might  be  added,  but  these 
have  been  given  merely  in  order  to  confirm  the  fact,  that  it  is 
the  spirit  in  man,  and  not  the  body,  which  exercises  sensation. 

448.  I  have  conversed  with  many  who  had  been  known  to 
me  in  this  life  (and  this  I  have  done  for  a  long  time — for 
months  and  years),  in  as  clear  a  voice,  although  an  inward 
one,  as  with  friends  in  this  world.  The  subject  of  our  con- 
versation has  sometimes  been  the  state  of  man  after  death, 
and  they  have  wondered  exceedingly  that  during  the  bodily 
life  no  one  knows  or  believes  that  he  is  so  to  live  when  the 
bodily  life  is  over,  when  yet  there  is  then  a  continuation  of 
life,  and  such  a  continuation  that  the  man  passes  from  an  ob- 
scure life  into  a  clear  one,  and  those  who  are  in  faith  in  the  Lord 
into  a  life  that  is  more  and  more  clear.  They  have  desired  me 
to  tell  their  friends  that  they  are  alive,  and  to  write  and  tell 
them  what  their  condition  is,  even  as  I  had  related  to  them- 
selves many  things  about  that  of  their  friends  here.  But  I 
replied  that  were  I  to  tell  their  friends  such  things,  or  to  write 
to  them  about  them,  they  would  not  believe,  but  would  call 
them  delusions,  would  scoff  at  them,  and  would  ask  for  signs 
or  miracles  before  they  would  believe ;  and  I  should  merely 
expose  myself  to  their  derision.  And  that  these  things  are 
true,  perchance  but  few  will  believe.  For  at  heart  men  deny 
the  existence  of  spirits,  and  even  those  who  do  not  deny  it  are 
unwilling  to  hear  that  any  one  can  speak  with  spirits.  In 
ancient  times  there  was  no  such  state  of  belief  in  regard  to 


196  GENESIS  [N.  448 

spirits,  but  so  it  is  now  when  by  crazy  ratiocination  men  try 
to  find  out  what  spirits  are,  and  by  their  definitions  and  sup- 
positions deprive  them  of  all  the  senses,  and  do  this  the  more, 
the  more  learned  they  desire  to  be. 


CHAPTER   THE    FIFTH. 

CONCERNING    HEAVEN    AND    HEAVENLY    JOT. 

449.  Hitherto  the  nature  of  heaven  and  of  heavenly  joy  has 
been  known  to  none.     Those  who  have  thought  about  them 
have  formed  an  idea  concerning  them  so  general  and  so  gross 
as  scarcely  to  amount  to  any  idea  at  all.     What  notion  they 
have  conceived  on  the  subject  I  have  been  able  to  learn  most 
accurately  from  spirits  who  had  recently  passed   from   the 
world  into  the  other  life ;  for  when  left  to  themselves,  as  if 
they  were  in  this  world,  they  think  in  the  same  way.     I  may 
give  a  few  examples. 

450.  Some  who  during  their  abode  in  this  world  had  seemed 
to  be  pre-eminently  enlightened  in  regard  to  the  Word,  had 
conceived  so  false  an  idea  about  heaven  that  they  supposed 
themselves  to  be  in   heaven  when  they  were  high  up,  and 
imagined  that  from  that  position  they  could  rule  all  things 
below,    and    thus    be    in    self-glory    and    pre-eminence    over 
others.     On  account  of  their  being  in  such  a  phantasy,  and  in 
order  to  show  them  that  they  were  in  error,  they  were  taken 
up  on  high,  and  from  there  were  permitted  in  some  measure 
to  rule  over  things  below ;   but  they  discovered  with  shame 
that  this  was  a  heaven  of  phantasy,  and  that  heaven  does  not 
consist  in  being  on  high,  but  is  wherever  there  is  any  one  who 
is  in  love  and  charity,  or  in  whom  is  the  Lord's  kingdom  ;  and 
that  neither  does  it  consist  in  desiring  to  be  more  eminent 
than  others,  for  to  desire  to  be  greater  than  others  is  not 
heaven,  but  hell. 

451.  A  certain  spirit,  who  during  his  life  in  the  body  had 
possessed  authority,  retained  in  the  other  life  the  desire  to  ex- 
ercise command.    But  he  was  told  that  he  was  now  in  another 


N.  451]  HEAVENLY   JOY  197 

kingdom,  which  is  eternal ;  that  his  rule  on  earth  was  dead ; 
and  that  where  he  was  now  no  one  is  held  in  estimation  ex- 
cept in  accordance  with  the  good  and  truth,  and  the  mercy  of 
the  Lord,  in  which  he  is ;  and  further,  that  it  is  in  that  king- 
dom as  it  is  on  earth,  where  every  one  is  rated  according  to 
his  wealth,  and  his  favor  with  his  sovereign ;  and  that  there 
good  and  truth  are  wealth,  and  favor  with  the  sovereign  is  the 
Lord's  mercy ;  and  that  if  he  desired  to  exercise  command  in 
any  other  way,  he  was  a  rebel,  seeing  that  he  was  now  in 
the  kingdom  of  Another.  On  hearing  this  he  was  ashamed. 

452.  I  have  conversed  with  spirits  who  supposed  heaven 
and  heavenly  joy  to  consist  in  being  the  greatest.     But  they 
were  told  that  in  heaven  he  is  greatest  who  is  least,  because 
he  who  would  be  the  least  has  the  greatest  happiness,  and  con- 
sequently is  the  greatest,  for  what  is  it  to  be  the  greatest  ex- 
cept to  be  the  most  happy  ?  it  is  this  that  the  powerful  seek 
by  power,  and  the  rich  by  riches.     They  were  told,  further, 
that  heaven  does  not  consist  in  desiring  to  be  the  least  in 
order  to  be  the  greatest,  for  in  that  case  the  person  is  really 
aspiring  and  wishing  to  be  the  greatest ;  but  that  heaven  con- 
sists in  this,  that  from  the  heart  we  wish  better  for  others 
than  for  ourselves,  and  desire  to  be  of  service  to  others  in 
order  to  promote  their  happiness,  and  this  for  no  selfish  end, 
but  from  love. 

453.  Some  entertain  so  gross  an  idea  of  heaven  that  they 
suppose  it  to  be  mere  admission,  in  fact  that  it  is  a  room  into 
which  they  are  admitted  through  a  door,  which  is  opened,  and 
then  they  are  let  in  by  the  doorkeepers. 

454.  Some  think  that  heaven  consists  in  a  life  of  ease,  in 
which  they  are  served  by  others ;  but  they  are  told  that  there 
is  no  possible  happiness  in  being  at  rest  as  a  means  of  happi- 
ness, for  so  every  one  would  wish  to  have  the  happiness  of 
others  made  tributory  to  his  own  happiness ;  and  when  every 
one  wished  this,  no  one  would  have  happiness.     Such  a  life 
would  not  be  an  active  life,  but  an  idle  one,  in  which  they 
would  grow  torpid,  and  yet  they  might  know  that  there  is  no 
happiness  except  in  an  active  life.     Angelic  life  consists  in 
use,  and  in  the  goods  of  charity;    for  the  angels  know  no 
greater  happiness  than  in  teaching  and  instructing  the  spirits 


198  GENESIS  [N.  454 

that  arrive  from  the  world ;  in  being  of  service  to  men,  con- 
trolling the  evil  spirits  about  them  lest  they  pass  the  proper 
bounds,  and  inspiring  the  men  with  good ;  and  in  raising  up  the 
dead  to  the  life  of  eternity,  and  then,  if  the  souls  are  such  as  to 
render  it  possible,  introducing  them  into  heaven.  From  all  this 
they  perceive  more  happiness  than  can  possibly  be  described. 
Thus  are  they  images  of  the  Lord ;  thus  do  they  love  the 
neighbor  more  than  themselves  ;  and  for  this  reason  heaven  is 
heaven.  So  that  angelic  happiness  is  in  use,  from  use,  and 
according  to  use,  that  is,  it  is  according  to  t'he  goods  of  love 
and  of  charity.  "When  those  who  have  the  idea  that  heavenly 
joy  consists  in  living  at  ease,  idly  breathing  in  eternal  joy, 
have  heard  these  things,  they  are  given  to  perceive,  in  order 
to  shame  them,  what  such  a  life  really  is,  and  they  perceive 
that  it  is  a  most  sad  one,  that  it  is  destructive  of  all  joy,  and 
that  after  a  short  time  they  would  loathe  and  nauseate  it. 

455.  One  who  in  this  world  had  been  most  learned  in  regard 
to  the  Word,  had  the  idea  that  heavenly  joy  consists  in  being 
in  a  glorious  light,  like  that  which  exists  when  the  solar  rays 
appear  of  a  golden  hue,  so  that  he  too  supposed  it  to  consist 
in  a  life  of  ease.     In  order  that  he  might  know  himself  to  be 
in  error,  such  a  light  was  granted  him,  and  he,  being  in  the 
midst  of  the  light,  was  as  delighted  as  if  he  were  in  heaven,  as 
indeed  he  said.     But  he  could  not  remain  long  in  it,  for  it 
gradually  wearied  him  and  became  no  joy  at  all. 

456.  The  best  instructed  of  them  all  said  that  heavenly  joy 
consists  solely  in  praising  and  glorifying  the  Lord,  being  a  life 
destitute  of  any  doing  of  the  goods  of  charity,  and  that  this 
is  an  active  life.     But  they  were  told  that  praising  and  cele- 
brating the  Lord  is  not  such  an  active  life  as  is  meant,  but  is 
an  effect  of  that  life ;  for  the  Lord  has  no  need  of  praises,  but 
wills  that  they  should  do  the  goods  of  charity,  and  that  it  is 
according  to  these  that  they  will  receive  happiness  from  the 
Lord.     But  still  these  best  instructed  persons  could  form  no 
idea  of  joy,  but  of  servitude,  in  doing  these  goods  of  charity. 
But  the  angels  testified  that  such  a  life  is  the  freest  of  all,  and 
that  it  is  conjoined  with  happiness  unutterable. 

457.  Almost  all  who  pass  from  this  world  into  the  other 
life  suppose  that  hell  is  the  same  for  every  one,  and  that  heaven 


N.  457]  HEAVENLY  JOY  199 

is  the  same  for  every  one.  And  yet  in  both  there  are  endless 
diversities  and  varieties,  and  neither  the  heaven  nor  the  hell 
of  one  person  is  ever  exactly  like  that  of  another ;  just  as  no 
man,  spirit,  or  angel  is  ever  exactly  like  another.  When  I 
merely  thought  of  there  being  two  exactly  alike  or  equal, 
horror  was  excited  in  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  of  spirits 
and  of  the  angelic  heaven,  and  they  said  that  every  one  is 
formed  by  the  harmony  of  many  components,  and  that  such  as 
is  the  harmony,  such  is  the  one,  and  that  it  is  impossible  for 
anything  to  subsist  that  is  absolutely  a  one,  but  only  a  one 
that  results  from  a  harmony  of  component  parts.  Thus  every 
society  in  the  heavens  forms  a  one,  and  so  do  all  the  societies 
together,  that  is,  the  universal  heaven,  and  this  from  the  Lord 
alone,  through  love.  A  certain  angel  enumerated  the  most 
universal  only  of  the  genera  of  the  joys  of  spirits,  that  is,  of 
the  first  heaven,  to  about  four  hundred  and  seventy-eight,  from 
which  we  may  infer  how  innumerable  must  be  the  less  uni- 
versal genera  and  the  species  in  each  genus.  And  as  there 
are  so  many  in  that  heaven,  how  illimitable  must  be  the 
genera  of  happinesses  in  the  heaven  of  angelic  spirits,  and 
still  more  so  in  the  heaven  of  angels. 

458.  Evil  spirits  have  sometimes  supposed  that  there  is 
another  heaven  besides  that  of  the  Lord,  and  they  have  been 
permitted  to  seek  for  it  wherever  they  could,  but  to  their  con- 
fusion they  could   never   find   any  other   heaven.     For  evil 
spirits  rush  into  insanities  both  from  the  hatred  they  bear 
against  the  Lord,  and  from  their  infernal  suffering,  and  catch 
at  such  phantasies. 

459.  There  are  three  heavens  :  the  first  is  the  abode  of  good 
spirits  ;  the  second,  of  angelic  spirits  ;  and  the  third,  of  angels. 
Spirits,  angelic  spirits,  and  angels  are  all  distinguished  into 
the  celestial  and  the  spiritual.     The  celestial  are  those  who 
through  love  have  received  faith  from  the  Lord,  like  the  men 
of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  treated  of  above.     The  spiritual 
are  those  who  through  knowledges   of   faith   have   received 
charity  from  the  Lord,  and  who  act  from  what  they  have 
received. 

A  continuation  of  this  subject  will  follow  at  the  end  of  this 
chapter. 


200  GENESIS  [N.  459 


CHAPTER   V. 

1.  This  is  the  book  of  the  births  of  Man.     In  the  day  that 
God  created  Man,  in  the  likeness  of  God  made  He  him. 

2.  Male  and  female  created  He  them,  and  blessed  them,  and 
called  their  name  Man,  in  the  day  when  they  were  created. 

3.  And  Man  lived  a  hundred  and  thirty  years,  and  begat 
into  his  likeness,  after  his  image,  and  called  his  name  Seth. 

4.  And  the  days  of  Man  after  he  begat  Seth  were  eight 
hundred  years  ;  and  he  begat  sons  and  daughters. 

5.  And  all  the  days  that  Man  lived  were  nine  hundred  and 
thirty  years  ;  and  he  died. 

6.  And  Seth  lived  a  hundred  and   five  years,  and   begat 
Enosh. 

7.  And  Seth  lived  after  he  begat  Enosh  eight  hundred  and 
seven  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 

8.  And  all  the  days  of  Seth  were  nine  hundred  and  twelve 
years  ;  and  he  died. 

9.  And  Enosh  lived  ninety  years,  and  begat  Kenan. 

10.  And  Enosh  lived  after  he  begat  Kenan  eight  hundred 
and  fifteen  years  ;  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 

11.  And  all  the  days  of  Enosh  were  nine  hundred  and  five 
years  ;  and  he  died. 

12.  And  Kenan  lived  seventy  years,  and  begat  Mahalalel. 

13.  And  Kenan  lived  after  he  begat  Mahalalel  eight  hun- 
dred and  forty  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 

14.  And  all  the  days  of  Kenan  were  nine  hundred  and  ten 
years  ;  and  he  died. 

15.  And  Mahalalel  lived  sixty  and  five  years,  and  begat 
Jared. 

16.  And  Mahalalel  lived  after  he  begat  Jared  eight  hundred 
and  thirty  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 

17.  And  all  the  days  of  Mahalalel  were  eight  hundred  ninety 
and  five  years  ;  and  he  died. 

18.  And  Jared  lived  a  hundred  sixty  and  two  years,  and 
begat  Enoch. 

'  19.  And  Jared  lived  after  he  begat  Enoch  eight  hundred 
years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 


N.  460]  CHAPTER   V.  201 

20.  And  all  the  days  of  Jared  were  nine  hundred  sixty  and 
two  years  ;  and  he  died. 

21.  And  Enoch  lived  sixty  and  five  years,  and  begat  Methu- 
selah. 

22.  And  Enoch  walked  with  God  after  he  begat  Methuselah 
three  hundred  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 

23.  And  all  the  days  of  Enoch  were  three  hundred  sixty 
and  five  years. 

24.  And  Enoch  walked  with  God,  and  he  was  no  more,  for 
God  took  him. 

25.  And   Methuselah   lived   a   hundred   eighty  and  seven 
years,  and  begat  Lamech. 

26.  And  Methuselah  lived  after  he  begat    Lamech  seven 
hundred  eighty  and  two  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 

27.  And  all  the  days  of  Methuselah  were  nine  hundred  sixty 
and  nine  years  ;  and  he  died. 

28.  And  Lamech  lived  a  hundred  eighty  and  two  years,  and 
begat  a  son ; 

29.  And  he  called  his  name  Noah,  saying,  He  shall  comfort 
us  from  our  work,  and  the  toil  of  our  hands,  out  of  the  ground 
which  JEHOVAH  hath  cursed. 

30.  And  Lamech  lived  after  he  begat  Noah  five  hundred 
ninety  and  five  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 

31.  And  all  the  days  of  Lamech  were  seven  hundred  seventy 
and  seven  years  ;  and  he  died. 

32.  And  Noah  was  a  son  of  five  hundred  years ;  and  Noah 
begat  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth. 


THE   CONTENTS. 

460.  This  chapter  treats  specifically  of  the  propagation  of 
the   Most  Ancient   Church   through   successive    generations, 
almost  to  the  flood. 

461.  The  Most  Ancient  Church  itself,  which  was  celestial, 
is  what  is   called   "  Man   (homo),"  and  a  "  likeness  of  God" 
(verse  1). 


202  GENESIS  [N.  462 

462.  A  second  church  which  was  not  so  celestial  as  the 
Most  Ancient  Church,  is  called  "  Seth"  (verses  2,  3). 

463.  A  third  church  was  called  "  Enosh"  (verse  6);  a  fourth 
"  Kenan"  (verse  9 j ;  a  fifth  "  Mahalalel"  (verse  12) ;  a  sixth 
"  Jared"  (verse  15) ;  a  seventh  "  Enoch"  (verse  18) ;  and  an 
eighth  church  "  Methuselah"  (verse  21). 

464.  The  church  called  "Enoch"  is  described  as  framing 
doctrine  from  what  was  revealed  to  and  perceived  by  the  Most 
Ancient  Church,  which  doctrine,  although  of  no  use  at  that 
time,  was  preserved  for  the  use  of  posterity.    This  is  signified 
by  its  being  said  that  "  Enoch  was  no  more,  because  God  took 
him"  (verses  22,  23,  24). 

465.  A  ninth  church  was  called  "  Lamech"  (verse  25). 

466.  A  tenth,  the  parent  of  three  churches  after  the  flood, 
was  named  "  Noah."     This  church  is  to  be  called  the  Ancient 
Church  (verses  28,  29). 

467.  "  Lamech"  is  described  as  retaining  nothing  of  the 
perception  which   the   Most  Ancient   Church   enjoyed;   and 
"  Noah"  is  described  as  a  new  church  (verse  29). 


THE   INTERNAL   SENSE. 

468.  From  what  has  been  said  and  shown  in  the  foregoing 
chapter,  it  is  evident  that  by  names  are  signified  heresies  and 
doctrines.  Hence  it  may  be  seen  that  by  the  names  in  this 
chapter  are  not  meant  persons,  but  things,  and  in  the  present 
instance  doctrines,  or  churches,  which  were  preserved,  notwith- 
standing the  changes  they  underwent,  from  the  time  of  the 
Most  Ancient  Church  even  to  "Noah."  But  the  case  with 
every  church  is  that  in  course  of  time  it  decreases,  and  at  last 
remains  among  a  few ;  and  the  few  with  whom  it  remained  at 
the  time  of  the  flood  were  called  "  Noah."  [2]  That  the  true 
church  decreases  and  remains  with  but  few,  is  evident  from 
other  churches  which  have  thus  decreased.  Those  who  are 
left  are  in  the  Word  called  "  remains,"  and  a  "  remnant,"  and 
are  said  to  be  "  in  the  midst,"  or  "  middle,"  "  of  the  land." 


K.  468]  CHAPTER   V.  203 

And  as  this  is  the  case  in  the  universal,  so  also  it  is  in  the 
particular,  or  as  it  is  with  the  church,  so  it  is  with  eveiy  indi- 
vidual man ;  for  unless  remains  were  preserved  by  the  Lord 
in  every  one,  he  must  needs  perish  eternally,  since  spiritual 
and  celestial  life  are  in  the  remains.  So  also  in  the  general 
or  universal — if  there  were  not  always  some  with  whom  the 
church,  or  true  faith,  remained,  the  human  race  would  perish ; 
for,  as  is  generally  known,  a  city,  nay,  sometimes  a  whole 
kingdom,  is  saved  for  the  sake  of  a  few.  It  is  in  this  respect 
with  the  church  as  it  is  with  the  human  body ;  so  long  as  the 
heart  is  sound,  life  is  possible  for  the  neighboring  viscera,  but 
when  the  heart  is  enfeebled,  the  other  parts  of  the  body  cease 
to  be  nourished,  and  the  man  dies.  The  last  remains  are  those 
which  are  signified  by  "  Noah ;"  for  (as  appears  from  verse  12 
of  the  following  chapter,  as  well  as  from  other  places)  the 
whole  earth  had  become  corrupt.  [3]  Of  remains  as  existing 
in  each  individual  as  well  as  in  the  church  in  general,  much  is 
said  in  the  Prophets  ;  as  in  Isaiah : — 

He  that  is  left  in  Zion,  and  he  that  remaineth  in  Jerusalem,  shall  be 
called  holy  to  Him,  even  every  one  that  is  written  unto  lives  in  Jerusa- 
lem, when  the  Lord  shall  have  washed  the  filth  of  the  daughters  of  Zion, 
and  shall  have  washed  away  the  bloods  of  Jerusalem  from  the  midst 
thereof  (iv.  3,  4), 

in  which  passage  holiness  is  predicated  of  the  remains,  by 
which  are  signified  the  remains  of  the  church,  and  also  of  a 
man  of  the  church ;  for  "  those  left"  in  Zion  and  Jerusalem 
could  not  be  holy  merely  because  they  were  "  left."  Again : — 

It  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  remains  of  Israel,  and  such 
as  are  escaped  of  the  house  of  Jacob,  shall  no  more  again  stay  upon  him 
that  smote  them,  but  shall  stay  upon  Jehovah  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  in 
truth.  The  remains  shall  return,  the  remains  of  Jacob,  unto  the  mighty 
God  (x.  20,  21). 

In  Jeremiah : — 

In  those  days,  and  in  that  time,  the  iniquity  of  Israel  shall  be  sought 
for,  and  there  shall  be  none  ;  and  the  sins  of  Judah,  and  they  shall  not  be 
found  ;  for  I  will  pardon  him  whom  I  shall  make  a  remnant  (1.  20). 

In  Micah : — 

The  remains  of  Jacob  shall  be  in  the  midst  of  many  peoples,  as  the 
dew  from  Jehovah,  as  the  showers  upon  the  grass  (v.  7). 


204  GENESIS  [N.  468 

[4]  The  residue  or  remains  of  a  man,  or  of  the  church,  were 
also  represented  by  the  tenths,  which  were  holy ;  hence  also  a 
number  with  ten  in  it  was  holy,  and  "  ten"  is  therefore  predi- 
cated of  remains  ;  as  in  Isaiah  : — 

Jehovah  shall  remove  man,  and  many  things  [shall  be]  left  in  the 
midst  of  the  land  ;  and  yet  in  it  [shall  be]  a  tenth  part,  and  it  shall  re- 
turn, and  shall  be  for  exterminating ;  as  an  oak,  and  an  ilex,  when  the 
stock  is  cast  forth  from  them,  the  holy  seed  is  the  stock  thereof 
(vi.  12,  13)  ; 

where  the  residue  is  called  a  "seed  of  holiness."  And  in 
Amos : — 

Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovih,  The  city  that  goeth  forth  a  thousand 
shall  have  a  hundred  left,  and  that  which  goeth  forth  a  hundred  shall 
have  ten  left  to  the  house  of  Israel  (v.  3). 

In  these  and  many  other  passages,  in  the  internal  sense  are 
signified  the  "  remains"  of  which  we  have  been  speaking. 
That  a  city  is  preserved  for  the  sake  of  the  remains  of  the 
church,  is  evident  from  what  was  said  to  Abraham  concerning 
Sodom  : — 

Abraham  said,  Peradventure  ten  may  be  found  there  ;  and  He  said,  I 
will  not  destroy  it  for  ten's  sake  (Gen.  xviii.  32). 

469.  Verse  1.   This  is  the  book  of  the  births  of  Man.     In  the 
day  that  God  created  Man,  in  the  likeness  of  God  made  He 
him.     The  "  book  of  the  births,"  is  an  enumeration  of  those 
who  were  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church ;  "  in  the  day  that  God 
created  Man,"  denotes  his  being  made  spiritual ;  and  "  in  the 
likeness  of  God  made  He  him,"  signifies  that  he  was  made 
celestial :  thus  it  is  a  description  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church. 

470.  That  the  "  book  of  the  births"  is  an  enumeration  of 
those  who  were  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  is  very  evident 
from  what  follows,  for  from  this  to  the  eleventh  chapter,  that 
is,  to  the  time  of  Eber,  names  never  signify  persons,  but  actual 
things.    In  the  most  ancient  time  mankind  were  distinguished 
into  houses,  families,  and  nations ;  a  house  consisting  of  the 
husband  and  wife  with  their  children,  together  with  some  of 
their  family  who  served ;  a  family,  of  a  greater  or  lesser  num- 
ber of  houses,  that  lived  not  far  apart  and  yet  not  together ; 
and  a  nation,  of  a  larger  or  smaller  number  of  families. 


N.  471]  CHAPTER   V.  VER.   1  205 

471.  The  reason  why  they  dwelt  thus  alone  by  themselves, 
distinguished  only  into  houses,  families,  and  nations,  was  that 
by  this  means  the  church  might  be  preserved  entire,  that  all 
the  houses  and  families  might  be  dependent  on  their  parent, 
and  thereby  remain  in  love  and  in  true  worship.     It  is  to  be 
remarked  also  that  each  house  was  of  a  pecular  genius,  distinct 
from  every  other ;  for  it  is  well  known  that  children,  and  even 
remote  descendants,  derive  from  their  parents    a   particular 
genius,  and  such  marked  characteristics  that  they  can  be  dis- 
tinguished by  the  face,  and  by  many  other  peculiarities.    There- 
fore, in  order  that  there  might  not  be  a  confounding,  but  an 
exact  distinction,  it  pleased  the  Lord  that  they  should  dwell 
in  this  manner.     Thus  the  church  was  a  living  representative 
of  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord ;  for  in  the  Lord's  kingdom  there 
are  innumerable  societies,  each  one  distinct  from  every  other, 
according  to  the  differences  of  love  and  faith.     This,  as  ob- 
served above,  is  what  is  meant  by  "living  alone,"  and   by 
"  dwelling  in  tents."     For  the  same  reason  also  it  pleased  the 
Lord  that  the  Jewish  Church  should  be  distinguished  into 
houses,  families,  and  nations,  and  that  every  one  should  con- 
tract marriage  within  his  own  family ;  but  concerning  this,  of 
the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 

472.  That  by  the  "day  in  which  God  created  Man,"  is  sig- 
nified his  being  made  spiritual,  and  that  by  "  God  making 
him  in  His  likeness,"  is  signified  his  being  made  celestial,  ap- 
pears from  what  was  said  and  shown  above.     The  expression 
to  "  create"  properly  relates  to  man  when  he  is  being  created 
anew,  or  regenerated ;  and  the  word  "  make,"  when  he  is  being 
perfected ;  wherefore  in  the  Word  there  is  an  accurate  distinc- 
tion observed  between  "  creating,"  "  forming,"  and  "  making," 
as  was  shown  above  in  the  second  chapter,  where  it  is  said  of 
the  spiritual  man  made  celestial  that  "God  rested  from  all 
His  work,  which  God  created  in  making;"  and  in  other  pas- 
sages also,  to  "  create"  relates  to  the  spiritual   man,  and  to 
"  make,"  that  is,  to  perfect,  to  the  celestial  man.     (See  n.  16, 
and  88.) 

473.  That  a  "likeness  of  God"  is  a  celestial  man,  and  an 
"  image  of  God,"  a  spiritual  man,  has  also  been  previously 
shown.     An  "  image"  is  preparatory  to  a  "  likeness,"  and  a 


206  GENESIS  [N.  473 

"  likeness"  is  a  real  resemblance,  for  a  celestial  man  is  entirely 
governed  by  the  Lord,  as  His  "  likeness." 

474.  Since  therefore  the  subject  here  treated  of  is  the  birth 
or  propagation  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  this  is  first  de- 
scribed as  coming  from  a  spiritual  to  a  celestial  state,  for  the 
propagations  follow  from  this. 

475.  Verse  2.  Male  and  female  created  He  them,  and  blessed 
them,  and  called  their  name  Man,  in  the  day  when  they  were 
created.     By  "  male  and  female,"  is  signified  the  marriage  be- 
tween faith  and  love ;  by  "  calling  their  name  Man,"  is  signi- 
fied that  they  were  the  church,  which,  in  an  especial  sense,  is 
called  "  Man  (homo)." 

476.  That  by  "male  and  female"  is  signified  the  marriage 
between  faith  and  love  was  declared  and  proved  above,  where 
it  was  shown  that  the  male  or  man  (vir)  signifies  the  under- 
standing and  whatever  belongs  to  it,  consequently  everything 
of  faith ;  and  that  the  female  or  woman  signifies  the  will,  or 
the  things  appertaining  to  the  will,  consequently  whatever  has 
relation  to  love ;  wherefore  she  was  called  Eve,  a  name  signi- 
fying life,  which  is  of  love  alone.     By  the  female  therefore  is 
also  signified  the  church,  as  has  been  previously  shown ;  and 
by  the  male,  a  man  (vir)  of  the  church.     The  subject  here  is 
the  state  of  the  church  when  it  was  spiritual,  and  which  was 
afterwards  made  celestial,  wherefore  "  male"  is  mentioned  be- 
fore "  female,"  as  also  in  chapter  i.  26,  27.     The  expression  to 
"create"  also  has  reference  to  the  spiritual  man;  but  after- 
wards when  the  marriage  has  been  effected,  that  is,  when  the 
church  has  been  made  celestial,  it  is   not  said  "male  and 
female,"  but  " man  (homo)"  who,  by  reason  of  their  marriage, 
signifies  both ;  wherefore  it  presently  follows,  "  and  He  called 
their  name  Man,"  by  which  is  signified  the  church. 

477.  That  "Man"  is  the  Most  Ancient  Church  has  been 
often  said  and  shown  above ;    for  in  the  supreme  sense  the 
Lord  Himself  alone  is  Man.     From  this  the  celestial  church  is 
called  Man,  as  being  a  likeness,  and  from  this  the  spiritual 
church  is  afterwards  so  called  because  it  was  an  image.     But 
in  a  general  sense  every  one  is  called  a  man  who  has  human 
understanding ;   for  man  is  man  by  virtue  of  understanding, 
and  according  thereto  one  person  is  more  a  man  than  another, 


N.  477]  CHAPTER   V.  VER.  2  207 

although  the  distinction  of  one  man  from  another  ought  to  be 
made  according  to  his  faith  as  grounded  in  love  to  the  Lord. 
[2]  That  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  and  every  true  church, 
and  hence  those  who  are  of  the  church,  or  who  live  from  love 
to  the  Lord  and  from  faith  in  Him,  are  especially  called  "  man," 
is  evident  from  the  Word,  as  in  Ezekiel : — 

I  will  cause  man  to  multiply  upon  you,  all  the  house  of  Israel,  all  of 
it ;  I  will  cause  to  multiply  upon  you  man  and  beast,  that  they  may  be 
multiplied  and  bear  fruit ;  and  I  will  cause  you  to  dwell  according  to 
your  antiquities  ;  and  I  will  do  better  unto  you  than  at  your  beginnings  ; 
and  I  will  cause  man  to  walk  upon  you,  My  people  Israel  (xxxvi. 
10,  11,  12), 

where  by  "  antiquities"  is  signified  the  Most  Ancient  Church ; 
by  "  beginnings,"  the  Ancient  Churches ;  by  the  "  house  of 
Israel"  and  "  people  Israel,"  the  primitive  church,  or  Church 
of  the  Gentiles ;  all  which  churches  are  called  "  man."  [3]  So 
in  Moses : — 

Remember  the  days  of  eternity,  understand  ye  the  years  of  generation 
and  generation  ;  when  the  Most  High  would  give  the  nations  an  inheri- 
tance, when  He  would  set  apart  the  sons  of  man,  He  set  the  bounds  of 
the  peoples  according  to  the  number  of  the  sons  of  Israel  (Deut.  xxxii: 
7,8), 

where  by  the  "  days  of  eternity"  is  meant  the  Most  Ancient 
Church;  by  "generation  and  generation,"  the  Ancient 
Churches ;  the  "  sons  of  man"  are  those  who  were  in  faith 
toward  the  Lord,  which  faith  is  the  "  number  of  the  sons  of 
Israel."  That  a  regenerate  person  is  called  "man,"  appears 
from  Jeremiah : — 

I  beheld  the  earth,  and  lo  it  was  empty  and  void  ;  and  the  heavens, 
and  they  had  no  light ;  I  beheld,  and  lo,  no  man,  and  all  the  birds  of  the 
heavens  were  fled  (iv.  23,  25), 

where  "  earth"  signifies  the  external  man ;  "  heaven"  the  in- 
ternal ;  "  man"  the  love  of  good ;  the  "  birds  of  the  heavens" 
the  understanding  of  truth.  [4]  Again  : — 

Behold  the  days  come  that  I  will  sow  the  house  of  Israel,  and  the 
house  of  Judah,  with  the  seed  of  man,  and  with  the  seed  of  beast 
(xxxi.  27), 

where  "  man"  signifies  the  internal  man,  "  beast"  the  external. 
In  Isaiah  : — - 


208  GENESIS  [N.  477 

Cease  ye  from  man  in  whose  nostrils  is  breath,  for  wherein  is  he  to  be 
accounted  of  (ii.  22), 

where  by  "  man"  is  signified  a  man  of  the  church.     Again : — 

Jehovah  shall  remove  man  far  away,  and  many  things  shall  be  left  in 
the  midst  of  the  land  (vi.  12), 

speaking  of  the  vastation  of  man,  in  that  there  should  no  longer 
exist  either  good  or  truth.     Again : — 

The  inhabitants  of  the  earth  shall  be  burned,  and  man  shall  be  left 
very  little  (xxiv.  6), 

where  "  man"  signifies  those  who  have  faith.     Again  : — 

The  paths  have  been  desolated,  the  farer  on  the  path  hath  ceased,  he 
hath  made  vain  the  covenant,  he  hath  despised  the  cities,  he  hath  not 
regarded  man,  the  earth  mourneth  and  languisheth  (xxxiii.  8,  9), 

denoting  the  man  who  in  the   Hebrew  tongue  is  "Enosh." 
Again  : — 

I  will  make  a  man  more  precious  than  fine  gold,  and  a  man  than  the 
gold  of  Ophir ;  therefore  I  will  shake  the  heavens,  and  the  earth  shall  be 
moved  out  of  her  place  (xiii.  12,  13), 

where  the  word  for  man  in  the  first  place  is  "  Enosh,"  and  in 
the  second  is  "  Adam." 

478.  The  reason  why  he  is  called  "  Adam"  is  that  the  He- 
brew word  "Adam"  signifies  "man;"  but  that  he  is    never 
properly  called  "  Adam"  by  name,  but  "  Man,"  is  very  evident 
from  this  passage  and  also  from  former  ones,  in  that  [in  some 
cases]  he  is  not  spoken  of  in  the  singular  number,  but  in  the 
plural,  and  also  from  the  fact  that  the  term  is  predicated  of 
both  the   man  and   the  woman,  both   together   being   called 
"  Man."    That  it  is  predicated  of  both,  every  one  may  see  from 
the  words,  for  it  is  said,  "  He  called  their  name  Man,  in  the 
day  that  they  were  created ;"  and  in  like  manner  in  the  first 
chapter :   "  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  and  let  them  have 
dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea"  (27,  28).     Hence    also  it 
may  appear  that  the  subject  treated  of  is  not  the  creation  of 
some  one  man  who  was  the  first  of  mankind,  but  the  Most 
Ancient  Church. 

479.  By  "  calling  a  name,"  or  "  calling  by  name,"  is  signi- 
fied in  the  Word  to  know  the  quality  of  things,  as  was  shown 


N.  479]  CHAPTER   V.  VER.  2  209 

above,  and  in  the  present  case  it  has  relation  to  the  quality 
of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  denoting  that  man  was  taken 
from  the  ground,  or  regenerated  by  the  Lord,  for  the  word 
"  Adam"  means  "  ground ;"  and  that  afterwards  when  he  was 
made  celestial  he  became  most  eminently  "  Man,"  by  virtue  of 
faith  originating  in  love  to  the  Lord. 

480.  That  they  were  called  "  Man"  in  the  day  that  they 
were  created,  appears  also  from  the  first  chapter,  verses  26,  27, 
that  is,  at  the  end  of  the  sixth  day,  which  answers  to  the  even- 
ing of  the  sabbath,  or  when  the  sabbath  or  seventh  day  began ; 
for  the  seventh  day,  or  sabbath,  is  the  celestial  man,  as  was 
shown  above. 

481.  Verse  3.  And  Man  lived  a  hundred  and  thirty  years, 
and  begat  into  his  likeness,  after  his  image,  and  called  his  name 
8eth.     By  a  "  hundred  and  thirty  years"  there  is  signified  the 
time  before  the  rise  of  a  new  church,  which,  being  not  very 
unlike  the  "Most  Ancient,  is  said  to  be  born  "  into  its  like- 
ness, and  after  its  image ;"  but  the  term  "  likeness"  has  rela- 
tion to  faith,  and  "  image"  to  love.     This  church  was  called 
«  Seth." 

482.  What  the  "  years,"  and  the  "  numbers  of  years,"  which 
occur  in  this  chapter,  signify  in  the  internal  sense,  has  hitherto 
been  unknown.     Those  who  abide  in  the  literal  sense  suppose 
them  to  be  secular  years,  whereas  from  this  to  the  twelfth 
chapter  there  is  nothing  historical  according  to  its  appearance 
in  the  literal  sense,  but  all  things  in  general  and  every  single 
thing  in  particular  contain  other  matters.     And  this  is  the 
case  not  only  with  the  names,  but  also  with  the  numbers.     In 
the  Word  frequent  mention  is  made  of  the  number  three,  and 
also  of  the  number  seven,  and  wheresoever  they  occur  they 
signify  something  holy  or  most  sacred  in  regard  to  the  states 
which  the  times  or  other  things  involve  or  represent ;  and  they 
have  the  same  signification  in  the  least  intervals  of  time  as  in 
the  greatest,  for  as  the  parts  belong  to  the  whole,  so  the  least 
things  belong  to  the  greatest,  for  there  must  be  a  likeness  in 
order  that  the  whole  may  properly  come  forth  from  the  parts, 
or  the  greatest  from  its  leasts.     Thus  in  Isaiah : — 

Now  hath  Jehovah  spoken,  saying,  Within  three  years,  as  the  y^ars 
of  a  hireling,  and  the  glory  of  Moab  shall  be  rendered  worthless  (xvi  14). 
VOL.  I— 14 


210  GENESIS  [N.  482 

Again . — 

Thus  hath  the  Lord  said  unto  me,  Within  a  year,  according  to  the 
years  of  a  hireling,  and  all  the  glory  of  Kedar  shall  be  consumed 
(xxi.  16), 

where  both  the  least  and  the  greatest  intervals  are  signified. 
In  Habakkuk : — 

Jehovah,  I  have  heard  Thy  renown,  and  was  afraid ;  O  Jehovah,  re- 
vive Thy  work  in  the  midst  of  the  years,  in  the  midst  of  the  years  make 
known  (iii.  2), 

where  the  "  midst  of  the  years"  signifies  the  Lord's  advent.  In 
lesser  intervals  it  signifies  every  coming  of  the  Lord,  as  when 
man  is  being  regenerated ;  in  greater,  when  the  church  of  the 
Lord  is  arising  anew.  It  is  likewise  called  the  "  year  of  the 
redeemed,"  in  Isaiah  : — 

The  day  of  vengeance  is  in  My  heart,  and  the  year  of  My  redeemed 
is  come  (Ixiii.  4). 

So  also  the  thousand  years  in  which  Satan  was  to  be  bound 
(Rev.  xx.  2,  7),  and  the  thousand  years  of  the  first  resurrection 
(Rev.  xx.  4,  5,  6),  by  no  means  signify  a  thousand  years,  but 
their  states ;  for  as  "  days"  are  used  to  express  states,  as  shown 
above,  so  also  are  "  years,"  and  the  states  are  described  by  the 
number  of  the  years.  Hence  it  is  evident  that  the  times  in 
this  chapter  also  involve  states ;  for  every  church  was  in  a 
different  state  of  perception  from  the  rest,  according  to  the 
differences  of  genius,  hereditary  and  acquired. 

483.  By  the  names  which  follow :  " Seth,"  « Enosh," 
"Kenan,"  "Mahalalel,"  "Jared,"  "Enoch,"  "Methuselah," 
"  Lamech,"  "  Noah,"  are  signified  so  many  churches,  of  which 
the  first  and  principal  was  called  "  Man."  The  chief  charac- 
teristic of  these  churches  was  perception,  wherefore  the  differ- 
ences of  the  churches  of  that  time  were  chiefly  differences  of 
perception.  I  may  here  mention  concerning  perception,  that 
in  the  universal  heaven  there  reigns  nothing  but  a  perception 
of  good  and  truth,  which  is  such  as  cannot  be  described, 
with  innumerable  differences,  so  that  no  two  societies  enjoy 
similar  perception ;  the  perceptions  there  existing  are  distin- 
guished into  genera  and  species,  and  the  genera  are  innumer- 
able, and  the  species  of  each  genus  are  likewise  innumerable  i 


N.  483]  CHAPTER   V.  VER.  S  211 

but  concerning  these,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 
Since  then  there  are  innumerable  genera,  and  innumerable 
species  in  each  genus,  and  still  more  innumerable  varieties  in 
the  species,  it  is  evident  how  little — so  little  that  it  is  almost 
nothing — the  world  at  this  day  knows  concerning  things  celes- 
tial and  spiritual,  since  they  do  not  know  even  what  perception 
is,  and  if  they  are  told,  they  do  not  believe  that  any  such  thing 
exists ;  and  so  with  other  things  also.  The  Most  Ancient 
Church  represented  the  celestial  kingdom  of  the  Lord,  even  as 
to  the  generic  and  specific  differences  of  perception ;  but 
whereas  the  nature  of  perception,  even  in  its  most  general 
aspect,  is  at  this  day  utterly  unknown,  any  account  of  the 
genera  and  species  of  the  perceptions  of  these  churches  would 
necessarily  appear  dark  and  strange.  They  were  at  that  time 
distinguished  into  houses,  families,  and  nations,  and  con- 
tracted marriage  within  their  houses  and  families,  in  order 
that  genera  and  species  of  perceptions  might  exist,  and  be  de- 
rived from  the  parents  precisely  as  are  the  propagations  of 
native  character;  wherefore  those  who  were  of  the  Most 
Ancient  Church  dwell  together  in  heaven. 

484.  That  the  church  called  "  Seth"  was  very  nearly  like  the 
Most  Ancient  Church,  is  evident  from  its  being  said  that  the 
man  begat  in  his  likeness,  according  to  his  image,  and  called 
his  name  Seth ;  the  term  "  likeness"  having  relation  to  faith,  and 
"  image"  to  love ;  for  that  this  church  was  not  like  the  Most 
Ancient  Church  with  regard  to  love  and  its  derivative  faith,  is 
plain  from  its  being  said  just  before,  "  Male  and  female  created 
He  them,  and  blessed  them,  and  called  their  name  Man,"  by 
which  is  signified  the  spiritual  man  of  the  sixth  day,  as  was 
said  above,  so  that  the  likeness  of  this  man  was  to  the  spiritual 
man  of  the  sixth  day,  that  is,  love  was  not  so  much  the  princi- 
pal, but  still  faith  was  conjoined  with  love. 

485.  That  a  different  church  is  here  meant  by  "  Seth"  from 
that  which  was  described  above  (iv.  25),  may  be  seen  at  n.  435. 
That  churches  of  different  doctrine  were  called  by  the  same 
name,  is  evident  from  those  which  in  the  foregoing  chapter 
(verses  IT  and  18)  were  called  "  Enoch"  and  "  Lamech,"  while 
here  other  churches  are  in  like  manner  called  "  Enoch"  and 
"  Lamech"  (verses  21,  30). 


212  GENESIS  [N.  486 

486.  Verse  4.  And  the  days  of  Man  after  he  begat  Seth  were 
eight  hundred  years,  and  he  begat  sons  and  daughters.     By 
"  days"  are  signified  times  and  states  in  general ;  by  "  years," 
times  and  states  in  special ;  by  "  sons  and  daughters"  are  sig- 
nified the  truths  and  goods  which  they  perceived. 

487.  That  by  "days"  are  signified  times  and  states  in  gen- 
eral, was  shown  in  the  first  chapter,  where  the  "  days"  of  crea- 
tion have  no  other  signification.     In  the  Word  it  is  very  usual 
to  call  all  time  "  days,"  as  is  manifestly  the  case  in  the  present 
verse,  and  in  those  which  follow  (5,  8, 11, 14, 17, 20,  23, 27, 31) ; 
and  therefore  the  states  of  the  times  in  general  are  likewise 
signified  by  "  days ;"  and  when  "  years"  are  added,  then  by 
the  seasons  of  the  years  are  signified  the  qualities  of  the  states, 
thus  states  in  special.     The  most  ancient  people  had  their 
numbers,  by  which  they  signified  various  things  relating  to 
the  church,  as  the  numbers  "  three,"  "  seven,"  "  ten,"  "  twelve," 
and  many  that  were  compounded  of  these  and  others,  whereby 
they  described  the  states  of  the  church ;  wherefore  these  num- 
bers contain  arcana  which  woiild  require  much  time  to  explain. 
It  was  an  account  or  reckoning  of  the  states  of  the  church. 
The  same  thing  occurs  in  many  parts  of  the  Word,  especially 
the  prophetical.     In  the  rites  of  the  Jewish  Church  also  there 
were  numbers,  both  of  times  and  measures,  as  for  instance 
in  regard  to  the  sacrifices,  meat-offerings,  oblations,  and  other 
things,  which  everywhere  signify  holy  things,  according   to 
their  application.     The  things  here  involved,  therefore,  in  the 
number  "  eight  hundred,"  and  in  the  next  verse,  in  the  number 
"  nine  hundred  and  thirty,"  and  in  the  numbers  of  years  in  the 
verses  following — namely,  the  changes  of  state  of  their  church 
as  applied  to  their  own  general  state — are  too  many  to  be  re- 
counted.    In  a  future  part  of  this  work,  of  the  Lord's  Divine 
mercy  we  shall  take  occasion  to  show  what  the  simple  num- 
bers up  to  "  twelve"  signify,  for  until  the  signification  of  these 
is  known,  it  would  be  impossible  to  apprehend  the  signification 
of  the  compound  numbers. 

488.  That  "days"  signify  states  in  general,  and  "years" 
states  in  special,  appears  from  the  Word,  as  in  Ezekiel : — 

Thou  hast  caused  thy  days  to  draw  near,  and  art  come  even  unto  thy 
years  (xxii  4), 


N.  488]  CHAPTER   V.  VER.  4  213 

speaking  of  those  who  commit  abominations,  and  fill  up  the 
measure  of  their  sins,  of  whose  state  in  general  are  predicated 
"  days,"  and  in  special  "  years."  So  in  David : — 

Thou  shalt  add  days  to  the  days  of  the  king,  and  his  years  as  of  gen- 
eration and  generation  (Ps.  Ixi.  6), 

speaking  of  the  Lord  and  of  His  kingdom,  where  also  "  days" 
and  "  years"  signify  the  state  of  His  kingdom.  Again  : — 

I  have  considered  the  days  of  old,  the  years  of  the  ages  (Ps.  Ixxvii.  5), 
where  "  days  of  old"  signify  states  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church, 
and  "years  of  the  ages,"  states  of  the  Ancient  Church.  In 
Isaiah : — 

The  day  of  vengeance  is  in  My  heart,  and  the  year  of  My  redeemed 
is  come  (Ixiii.  4), 

speaking  of  the  last  times,  where  the  "  day  of  vengeance"  sig- 
nifies a  state  of  damnation,  and  the  "  year  of  the  redeemed"  a 
state  of  blessedness.  Again  : — 

To  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,  and  the  day  of  ven- 
geance of  our  God  ;  to  comfort  all  that  mourn  (Ixi.  2), 

where  both  "  days"  and  "  years"  signify  states.    In  Jeremiah  : — 

Renew  our  days  as  of  old  (Lam.  v.  21), 
where  state  is  plainly  meant.     [2]  In  Joel : — 

The  day  of  Jehovah  cometh,  for  it  is  nigh  at  hand,  a  day  of  darkness 
and  of  thick  darkness,  a  day  of  cloud  and  of  obscurity  ;  there  hath  not 
been  ever  the  like,  neither  shall  be  after  it,  even  to  the  years  of  genera- 
tion and  generation  (ii.  1,  2), 

where  "  day"  signifies  a  state  of  darkness  and  of  thick  dark- 
ness, of  cloud  and  of  obscurity,  with  each  one  in  particular,  and 
with  all  in  general.  In  Zechariah  : — 

I  will  remove  the  iniquity  of  that  land  in  one  day  ;  in  that  day  shall 
ye  cry  a  man  to  his  companion  under  the  vine,  and  under  the  fig-tree 
(iii.  9,  10). 

And  in  another  place  : — 

It  shall  be  one  day  which  is  known  to  Jehovah,  not  day  nor  night, 
and  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  at  evening  time  it  shall  be  light  (xiv.  7), 

where  it  is  plain  that  state  is  meant,  for  it  is  said  that  there 
shall  be  a  day  that  is  "  neither  day  nor  night,  at  evening  time 


214  GENESIS  [N.  488 

it  shall  be  light."  The  same  appears  from  expressions  in  the 
Decalogue : — 

Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  that  thy  days  may  be  prolonged, 
and  that  it  may  be  well  with  thee  upon  the  ground  (Deut.  v.  16  ;  xxv.  15), 

where  to  have  the  "  days  prolonged"  does  not  signify  length  of 
life,  but  a  happy  state.  [3]  In  the  literal  sense  it  must  needs 
appear  as  if  "  day"  signifies  time,  but  in  the  internal  sense  it 
signifies  state.  The  angels,  who  are  in  the  internal  sense,  do 
not  know  what  time  is,  for  they  have  no  sun  and  moon  that 
distinguish  times  ;  consequently  they  do  not  know  what  days 
and  years  are,  but  only  what  states  are  and  the  changes  thereof ; 
and  therefore  before  the  angels,  who  are  in  the  internal  sense, 
everything  relating  to  matter,  space,  and  time  disappears,  as 
in  the  literal  sense  of  this  passage  in  Ezekiel : — 

The  day  is  near,  even  the  day  of  Jehovah  is  near,  a  day  of  cloud ;  it 
shall  be  the  time  of  the  nations  (xxx.  3), 

and  of  this  in  Joel : — 

Alas  for  the  day  !  for  the  day  of  Jehovah  is  at  hand,  and  as  vastation 
shall  it  come  (i.  15), 

where  a  "  day  of  cloud"  signifies  a  cloud,  or  falsity ;  the  "  day 
of  the  nations"  signifies  the  nations,  or  wickedness  ;  the  "  day 
of  Jehovah"  signifies  vastation.  When  the  notion  of  time  is 
removed,  there  remains  the  notion  of  the  state  of  the  things 
which  existed  at  that  time.  The  case  is  the  same  with  regard 
to  the  "  days"  and  "  years"  that  are  so  often  mentioned  in  this 
chapter. 

489.  That  by  "  sons  and  daughters"  are  signified  the  truths 
and  goods  which  they  had  a  perception  of,  and  indeed  by 
"  sons"  truths,  and  by  "  daughters"  goods,  is  evident  from 
many  passages  in  the  Prophets ;  for  in  the  Word,  as  also  in 
olden  time,  the  conceptions  and  births  of  the  church  are 
called  "  sons  and  daughters,"  as  in  Isaiah  : — • 

The  Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy  light,  and  kings  to  the  brightness  of 
thy  rising  •,  lift  up  thine  eyes  round  about  and  see  ;  all  they  gather  them- 
selves together  and  come  to  thee  ;  thy  sons  shall  come  from  far,  and  thy 
daughters  shall  be  nursed  at  thy  side ;  then  thou  shalt  see  and  flow 
together,  and  thy  heart  shall  be  amazed,  and  shall  be  enlarged  (Ix.  3, 
4  5), 


N.  489]  CHAPTER   V.  VER.  4  215 

in  which  passage  "  sons"  signify  truths,  and  "  daughters" 
goods.  [2]  In  David : — 

Deliver  me  and  rescue  me  from  the  hand  of  the  sons  of  the  stranger, 
whose  mouth  speaketh  vanity  ;  that  our  sons  may  be  as  plants  grown  up 
in  their  youth,  that  our  daughters  may  be  as  corner-stones  hewn  in  the 
form  of  a  temple  (Ps.  xliv.  11,  12), 

where  the  "sons  of  the  stranger"  signify  spurious  truths,  or 
falsities  ;  "  our  sons"  signify  doctrinals  of  truth ;  "  our  daugh- 
ters," doctrinals  of  good.  [3]  In  Isaiah  : — 

I  will  say  to  the  north,  Give  up,  and  to  the  south,  Keep  not  back ; 
bring  My  sons  from  far,  and  My  daughters  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  ; 
bring  forth  the  blind  people,  and  they  shall  have  eyes ;  the  deaf,  and 
they  shall  have  ears  (xliii.  6,  8), 

in  which  passage  "  sons"  signify  truths ;  "  daughters,"  goods ; 
the  "  blind,"  those  who  would  see  truths ;  and  the  "  deaf,"  those 
who  would  obey  them.  [4]  In  Jeremiah  : — 

Shame  hath  devoured  the  labor  of  our  fathers  from  our  youth  ;  their 
flocks,  their  herds,  their  sons,  and  their  daughters  (iii.  24), 

where  "  sons"  and  "  daughters"  signify  truths  and  goods.  That 
"  children"  and  "  sons"  signify  truths,  is  plain  from  Isaiah  : — 

Jacob  shall  not  now  be  ashamed,  neither  shall  his  face  now  wax  pale  ; 
for  when  he  shall  see  his  children  the  work  of  My  hands  in  the  midst  of 
him,  they  shall  sanctify  My  name,  and  shall  sanctify  the  Holy  One  of 
Jacob,  and  shall  fear  the  God  of  Israel ;  they  also  that  erred  in  spirit 
shall  know  understanding  (xxix.  22,  23,  24), 

where  the  "  Holy  One  of  Jacob,  the  God  of  Israel,"  signifies 
the  Lord;  "children"  signify  the  regenerate,  who  have  the 
understanding  of  good  and  truth,  as  is  indeed  explained. 
[5]  Again : — 

Sing,  O  barren,  thou  that  didst  not  bear,  for  more  are  the  sons  of  the 
desolate  than  the  sons  of  the  married  wife  (liv.  1), 

where  the  "sons  of  the  desolate"  signify  the  truths  of  the 
primitive  Church,  or  that  of  the  Gentiles ;  the  "  sons  of  the 
married  wife,"  the  truths  of  the  Jewish  Church.  [6]  In 
Jeremiah : — 

My  tent  is  laid  waste  and  all  My  cords  are  plucked  out ;  My  sons  are 
gone  forth  of  Me,  and  are  not  (x.  20), 

where  "  sons"  signify  truths.     Again  : — 

His  sons  shall  be  as  aforetime,  and  their  congregation  shall  be  estab- 
lished before  Me  (xxx.  20), 


215  GENESIS  [N.  489 

where  "sons"  signify  the  truths  of  the  Ancient  Church.  In 
Zechariah : — 

I  will  stir  up  thy  sons,  O  Zion,  with  thy  sons,  0  Javan,  and  make  thee 
as  the  sword  of  a  mighty  man  (ix.  13), 

signifying  the  truths  of  the  faith  of  love. 

490.  In  the  Word  "  daughters"  frequently  denote  goods ; 
as  in  David : — 

Kings'  daughters  were  among  thy  precious  ones ;  at  thy  right  hand 
doth  stand  the  queen  in  the  best  gold  of  Ophir ;  the  daughter  of  Tyre 
with  a  gift ;  the  king's  daughter  is  all  glorious  within  ;  of  eyelet  work  of 
gold  is  her  raiment ;  instead  of  thy  fathers  shall  be  thy  sons  (Ps.  xiv. 
10-17), 

where  the  good  and  beauty  of  love  and  faith  are  described  by 
the  "  daughter."  Hence  churches  are  called  "  daughters"  by 
virtue  of  goods,  as  the  "  daughter  of  Zion"  and  the  "  daughter 
of  Jerusalem"  (Isa.  xxxvii.  22,  and  in  many  other  places)  ;  they 
are  also  called  "daughters  of  My  people"  (Isa.  xxii.  4),  the 
"daughter  of  Tarshish"  (Isa.  xxiii.  10),  the  "daughter  of 
Sidon"  (verse  12),  and  "daughters  in  the  field"  (Ezek.  xxvi. 
6,8). 

491.  The  same  things  are  signified  by  "sons"  and  "daugh- 
ters" in  this  chapter  (verses  4,  7,  10,  13,  16,  19,  26,  30),  but 
such  as  is  the  church,  such  are  the  "  sons  and  daughters,"  that 
is,  such  are  the  goods  and  truths ;  the  truths  and  goods  here 
spoken  of  are  such  as  were  distinctly  perceived,  because  they 
are  predicated  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  the  principal  and 
parent  of  all  the  other  and  succeeding  churches. 

492.  Verse  5.  And  all  the  days  that  Man  lived  were  nine 
hundred  and  thirty  years,  and  he  died.    By  "  days"  and  "  years" 
are  here  signified  times  and  states,  as  above ;  by  "  Man's  dying" 
is  signified  that  such  perception  no  longer  existed. 

493.  That  by  "days"  and  "years"  are  signified  times  and 
states  needs  no  further  explication,  except  to  say  that  in  the 
world  there  must  needs  be  times  and  meas'ures,  to  which  num- 
bers may  be  applied  because  they  are  in  the  ultimates  of  nature; 
but  whenever  they  are  applied  in  the  Word,  the  numbers  of 
the  days  and  years,  and  also  of  the  measures,  have  a  significa- 
tion abstractedly  from  the  times  and  measures,  in  accordance 


N.  493]  CHAPTER   V.  VER.  5  217 

with  the  signification  of  the  number ;  as  where  it  is  said  that 
there  are  six  days  of  labor,  and  that  the  seventh  is  holy,  of 
which  above;  that  the  jubilee  should  be  proclaimed  every 
forty-ninth  year,  and  should  be  celebrated  in  the  fiftieth ;  that 
the  tribes  of  Israel  were  twelve,  and  the  apostles  of  the  Lord 
the  same ;  that  there  were  seventy  elders,  and  as  many  disci- 
ples of  the  Lord ;  and  so  in  many  other  instances  where  the 
numbers  have  a  special  signification  abstractedly  from  the 
things  to  which  they  are  applied ;  and  when  thus  abstracted, 
then  it  is  states  that  are  signified  by  the  numbers. 

494.  That  he  "  died,"  signifies  that  there  was  no  longer  such 
perception,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  the  word  "  die," 
which  is,  that  a  thing  ceases  to  be  such  as  it  has  been.  Thus 
in  John : — 

Unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Sardis  write,  These  things  saith  He 
that  hath  the  seven  spirits,  and  the  seven  stars  ;  I  know  thy  works,  that 
thou  art  said  to  live,  but  art  dead  ;  be  watchful,  and  strengthen  the  things 
which  remain,  that  are  ready  to  die  ;  for  I  have  not  found  thy  works  per- 
fect before  God  (Rev.  iii.  1,  2). 

In  Jeremiah : — 

I  will  cast  out  thy  mother  that  bare  thee,  into  another  country  where 
ye  were  not  begotten,  and  there  shall  ye  die  (xxii.  26), 

where  "mother"  signifies  the  church.  For  as  we  have  said, 
the  case  with  the  church  is  that  it  decreases  and  degenerates, 
and  loses  its  pristine  integrity,  chiefly  by  reason  of  the  increase 
of  hereditary  evil,  for  every  succeeding  parent  adds  new  evil 
to  that  which  he  has  inherited.  All  the  actual  evil  in  the 
parents  puts  on  a  kind  of  nature,  and  when  it  often  recurs, 
becomes  natural  to  them,  and  is  added  to  their  hereditary  evil, 
and  is  transmitted  into  their  children,  and  so  to  posterity. 
In  this  way  the  hereditary  evil  is  immensely  increased  in  the 
descendants.  That  this  is  so  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  the 
evil  dispositions  of  children  are  exactly  like  those  of  their 
progenitors.  Quite  false  is  the  opinion  of  those  who  think 
that  there  is  no  hereditary  evil  except  that  which  they  allege 
to  have  been  implanted  in  us  from  Adam  (see  n.  313).  The 
truth  is  that  every  one  makes  hereditary  evil  by  his  own  actual 
sins,  and  adds  it  to  the  evils  that  he  has  inherited,  and  in  this 
way  it  accumulates,  and  remains  in  all  the  descendants,  nor  is 


218  GENESIS  [N.  494 

it  abated  except  in  those  who  are  being  regenerated  by  the 
Lord.  In  every  church  this  is  the  principal  cause  of  degener- 
ation, and  it  was  so  in  the  Most  Ancient  Church. 

495.  How  the  Most  Ancient  Church  decreased  cannot  ap- 
pear unless  it  be  known  what  perception  is,  for  it  was  a  per- 
ceptive church,  such  as  at  this  day  does  not  exist.     The  per- 
ception of  a  church  consists  in  this,  that  its  members  perceive 
from  the  Lord  what  is  good  and  true,  like  the  angels ;  not  so 
much  what  the  good  and  truth  of  civic  society  is,  but  the  good 
and  truth  of  love  to  the  Lord  and  of  faith  in  Him.     From  a 
confession  of  faith  that  is  confirmed  by  the  life  it  can  be  seen 
what  perception  is,  and  whether  it  has  any  existence. 

496.  Verse  6.  And  Seth  lived  a  hundred  and  five  years,  and 
begat  Enosh.     "  Seth,"  as  was  observed,  is  a  second  church,  less 
celestial  than  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  its  parent,  yet  one  of 
the  most  ancient  churches ;  that  he  "  lived  a  hundred  and  five 
years,"  signifies,  as  before,  times  and  states ;  that  he  "  begat 
Enosh,"   signifies   that   from  them   there   descended   another 
church  that  was  called  "  Enosh." 

497.  That  "  Seth"  is  a  second  church  less  celestial  than  the 
Most  Ancient  Church,  its  parent,  yet  one  of  the  most  ancient 
churches,  may  appear  from  what  was  said  above  concerning 
Seth  (verse  3).     The  case  with  churches,  as  we  have  said,  is 
that  by  degrees,  and  in  process  of  time,  they  decrease  as  to 
essentials,  owing  to  the  cause  above  mentioned. 

498.  That  he  "begat  Enosh"  signifies  that  from  them  there 
descended  another  church  called  "  Enosh,"  is  evident  from  the 
fact  that  in  this  chapter  the  names  signify  nothing  else  than 
churches. 

499.  Verses  7,  8.  And  Seth  lived  after  he  begat  Enosh  eight 
hundred  and  seven  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters.     And 
all  the  days  of  Seth  were  nine  hundred  and  twelve  years,  and 
he  died.     The  "  days"  and  numbers  of  "  years"  signify  here  as 
before  the  times  and  states.     "  Sons  and  daughters"  too  have 
the  same  signification  as  before ;  and  so  likewise  has  the  state- 
ment that  he  "  died." 

500.  Verse  9.  And  Enosh  lived  ninety  years,  and  begat  Ke- 
nan.    By  v  Enosh,"  as  beiore  said,  is  signified  a  third  church, 
still  less  celestial  than  the  church  "  Seth,"  yet  one  of  the  most 


N.  500]  CHAPTER   V.  VER.  9  219 

ancient  churches ;  by  "  Kenan"  is  signified  a  fourth  church, 
which  succeeded  the  former  ones. 

501.  As  regards  the  churches  that  in  course  of  time  suc- 
ceeded one  another,  and  of  which  it  is  said  that  one  was  born 
from  another,  the  case  with  them  was  the  same  as  it  is  with 
fruits,  or  with  their  seeds.     In  the  midst  of  these,  that  is,  in 
their  inmosts,  there  are  as  it  were  fruits  of  the  fruits,  or  seeds 
of  the  seeds,  from  which  live  as  it  were  in  regular  order  the  suc- 
cessive parts.     For  the  more  remote  these  are  from  the  inmost 
toward  the  circumference,  the  less  of  the  essence  of  the  fruit  or 
of  the  seed  is  there  in  them,  until  finally  they  are  but  the  cuticles 
or  coverings  in  which  the  fruits  or  seeds  terminate.     Or  as  in 
the  case  of  the  brain,  in  the  inmost  parts  of  which  are  subtle 
organic  forms  called  the  cortical  substances,  from  which  and 
by  which  the  operations  of  the  soul  proceed ;  and  from  which 
in  regular  order  the  purer  coverings  follow  in  succession,  then 
the   denser   ones,    and   finally   the   general    coverings    called 
meninges,  which  are  terminated  in  coverings  still  more  gen- 
eral, and  at  last  in  the  most    general  of    all,   which  is   the 
skull. 

502.  These  three  churches,  "Man,"  "  Seth,"  and  "Enosh," 
constitute  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  but  still  with  a  difference 
of  perfection  as  to  perceptions  :  the  perceptive  faculty  of  the 
first  church  gradually  diminished  in  the  succeeding  churches, 
and  became  more  general,  as  observed  concerning  fruit  or  its 
seed,  and  concerning  the  brain.      Perfection  consists  in  the 
faculty  of  perceiving  distinctly,  which  faculty  is  diminished 
when  the  perception  is  less  distinct  and  more  general;  an  ob- 
scurer perception  then  succeeds  in  the  place  of  that  which  was 
clearer,  and  thus  it  begins  to  vanish  away. 

503.  The  perceptive  faculty  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church 
consisted  not  only  in  the  perception  of  what  is  good  and  true, 
but  also  in  the  happiness  and  delight  arising  from  well-doing ; 
without  such  happiness  and  delight  in  doing  what  is  good  the 
perceptive  faculty  has  no  life,  but  by  virtue  of  such  happiness 
and  delight  it  receives  life.    The  life  of  love,  and  of  the  deriva- 
tive faith,  such  as  the  Most  Ancient  Church  enjoyed,  is  life 
while  in  the  performance  of  use,  that  is,  in  the  good  and  truth 
of  use :  from  use,  by  use,  and  according  to  use,  is  life  given 


220  GENESIS  [N.  503 

by  the  Lord ;  there  can  be  no  life  in  what  is  useless,  for  what- 
ever is  useless  is  cast  away.  In  this  respect  the  most  ancient 
people  were  likenesses  of  the  Lord,  and  therefore  in  perceptive 
powers  they  became  images  of  Him.  The  perceptive  power 
consists  in  knowing  what  is  good  and  true,  consequently  what 
is  of  faith :  he  who  is  in  love  is  not  delighted  in  knowing, 
but  in  doing  what  is  good  and  true,  that  is,  in  being  useful. 

504.  Verses  10,  11.  And  Enosh  lived  after  he  begat  Kenan 
eight  hundred  and  fifteen  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 
And  all  the  days  of  Enosh  were  nine  hundred  and  five  years, 
and  he  died.    Here  in  like  manner  the  "  days"  and  numbers  of 
"  years,"  and  also  "  sons  and  daughters,"  and  his  "  dying,"  sig- 
nify like  things. 

505.  "Enosh,"  as  before  observed,  is  a  third  church,  yet 
one  of  the  most  ancient  churches,  but  less  celestial,  and  conse- 
quently less  perceptive,  than  the  church  "  Seth ;"    and   this 
latter  was  not  so  celestial  and  perceptive  as  the  parent  church, 
called  "Man."     These  three   are  what   constitute   the   Most 
Ancient  Church,  which,  relatively  to  the  succeeding  ones,  was 
as   the   kernel   of   fruits,  or   seeds,  whereas   the   succeeding 
churches  are  relatively  as  the  membranaceous  parts  of  these. 

506.  Verse  12.  And  Kenan  lived  seventy  years,  and  begat 
Mahalalel.     By  "  Kenan"  is  signified  a  fourth  church,  and  by 
«  Mahalalel"  a  fifth. 

507.  The    church   called   "Kenan"  is  not   to  be  so  much 
reckoned  among  those  three  more  perfect  ones,  inasmuch  as 
perception,  which  in  the  former  churches  had  been  distinct, 
began  now  to  become  general,  comparatively  as  are  the  first 
and  softer  membranes  relatively  to  the  kernel  of  fruits  or 
seeds ;  which  state  is  not  indeed  described,  but  still  is  apparent 
from  what  follows,  as  from  the  description  of   the  churches 
called  «  Enoch"  and  "  Noah." 

508.  Verses  13,  14.  And  Kenan  lived  after  he  begat  Maha- 
lalel eight  hundred  and  forty  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daugh- 
ters.    And  all  the  days  of  Kenan  were  nine  hundred  and  ten 
years,  and  he  died.    The  "  days"  and  numbers  of  "  years"  have 
the  same  signification  here  as  before.     "  Sons  and  daughters" 
here  also  signify  truths  and  goods,  whereof  the  members  of 
the  church  had  a  perception,  but  in  a  more  general  manner. 


N.  508]  CHAPTER   V.  VERS.  13,  14  221 

That  he  "  died"  signifies  in  like  manner  the  cessation  of  such 
a  state  of  perception. 

509.  It  is  here  only  to  be  remarked,  that  all  things  are  de- 
termined by  their  relation  to  the  state  of  the  church. 

510.  Verse  15.  And  Mahalalel  lived  sixty  and  jive  years, 
and  begat  Jared.     By  "  Mahalalel"  is  signified,  as  before  said, 
a  fifth  church ;  by  "  Jared"  a  sixth. 

511.  As  the  perceptive  faculty  decreased,  and  from  being 
more  particular  or  distinct,  became  more  general  or  obscure, 
so  also  did  the  life  of  love  or  of  uses ;  for  as  is  the  life  of  love 
or  of  uses,  so  is  the  perceptive  faculty.     From  good  to  know 
truth  is  celestial ;  the  life  of  those  who  constituted  the  church 
called  "Mahalalel"  was  such  that  they  preferred  the  delight 
from  truths  to  the  delight  from  uses,  as  has  been  given  me 
to  know  by  experience  among  their  like  in  the  other  life. 

512.  Verses  16, 17.  And  Mahalalel  lived  after  he  begat  Jared 
eight  hundred  and  thirty  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 
And  all  the  days  of  Mahalalel  were  eight  hundred  ninety  and 
five  years,  and  he  died.     It  is  the  same  with  these  words  as 
with  the  like  words  before. 

513.  Verse  18.  And  Jared  lived  a  hundred  sixty  and  two 
years,  and  begat  Enoch.     By  "  Jared,"  as  before  said,  is  signi- 
fied a  sixth  church ;  by  "  Enoch"  a  seventh. 

514.  Concerning  the  church  called  "  Jared"  nothing  is  re- 
lated ;  but  its  character  may  be  known  from  the  church  "  Ma- 
halalel" which  preceded  it,  and  the  church  "Enoch"  which 
followed  it,  between  which  two  it  was  intermediate. 

515.  Verses  19,  20.  And  Jared  lived  after  he  begat  Enoch 
eight  hundred  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters.     And  all 
the  days  of  Jared  were  nine  hundred  sixty  and  two  years,  and  he 
died.     The  signification  of  these  words  also  is  similar  to  that 
of  the  like  words  above.     That  the  ages  of  the  antediluvians 
were  not  so  great,  as  that  of  Jared  nine  hundred  and  sixty- 
two  years,  and  that  of  Methuselah  nine  hundred  and  sixty-nine 
years,  must  appear  to  every  one,  especially  from  what  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  mercy  will  be  said  at  verse  3  of  the  next  chapter, 
where  we  read,  "  Their  days  shall  be  a  hundred  and  twenty 
years ;"  so  that  the  number  of  the  years  does  not  signify  the  age 
of  any  particular  man,  but  the  times  and  states  of  the  church. 


222  GENESIS  [N.  516 

516.  Verse  21.  And  Enoch  lived  sixty  and  jive  years,  and 
begat  Methuselah.     By  "  Enoch,"  as  before  said,  is  signified  a 
seventh  church ;  and  by  "  Methuselah"  an  eighth. 

517.  The  quality  of  the  church  "  Enoch"  is  described  in 
the  following  verses. 

518.  Verse  22.  And  Enoch  walked  with  God  after  he  begat 
MethuselaJi  three  hundred  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 
To  "  walk  with  God"  signifies  doctrine  concerning  faith.    That 
he  "  begat  sons  and  daughters"  signifies  doctrinal  matters  con- 
cerning truths  and  goods. 

519.  There  were  some  at  that  time  who  framed  doctrines 
from  the  things  that  had  been  matters  of  perception  in  the 
most  ancient  and  succeeding  churches,  in  order  that  such  doc- 
trine might  serve  as  a  rule  whereby  to  know  what  was  good 
and  true  :  such  persons  were  called  "  Enoch."     This  is  what  is 
signified  by  the  words,  "  and  Enoch  walked  with  God ;"  and 
so  did  they  call  that  doctrine ;  which  is  likewise  signified  by 
the  name  "  Enoch,"  which  means  to  "  instruct."     The  same  is 
evident  also  from  the  signification  of  the  expression  to  "  walk," 
and  from  the  fact  that  he  is  said  to  have  "  walked  with  God," 
not  "  with  Jehovah  :"  to  "  walk  with  God"  is  to  teach  and  live 
according  to  the  doctrine  of  faith,  but  to  "  walk  with  Jehovah" 
is  to  live  the  life  of  love.     To  "  walk"  is  a  customary  form  of 
speaking  that  signifies  to  live,  as  to  "  walk  in  the  law,"  to 
"  walk  in  the  statutes,"  to  "  walk  in  the  truth."     To  «  walk" 
has  reference  properly  to  a  way,  which  has  relation  to  truth, 
consequently  to  faith,  or  the  doctrine  of  faith.    What  is  signi- 
fied in  the  Word  by  "  walking,"  may  in  some  measure  appear 
from  the  following  passages.     [2]  In  Micah  : — 

He  hath  showed  thee,  O  man,  what  is  good,  and  what  doth  Jehovah 
require  of  thee,  but  to  do  judgment  and  the  love  of  mercy,  and  to  humble 
thyself  by  walking  with  thy  God  ?  (vi.  8), 

where  to  "  walk  with  God"  signifies  to  live  according  to  the 
things  here  indicated ;  here  however  it  is  said  "  with  God," 
while  of  Enoch  another  word  is  used  which  signifies  also 
"  from  with  God,"  so  that  the  expression  is  ambiguous.  In 
David : — 

Thou  hast  delivered  my  feet  from  impulsion,  that  I  may  walk  before 
God  in  the  light  of  the  living  (Ps.  Ivi.  13), 


N.  519]  CHAPTER   V.  VER.  22  223 

where  to  "  walk  before  God"  is  to  walk  in  the  truth  of  faith, 
which  is  the  "light  of  the  living."  In  like  manner  in 
Isaiah : — 

The  people  that  walk  in  darkness  see  a  great  light  (ix.  1). 

So  the  Lord  says  by  Moses : — 

I  will  walk  in  the  midst,  and  will  be  your  God,  and  ye  shall  be  My 
people  (Lev.  xxvi.  12), 

signifying  that  they  should  live  according  to  the  doctrine  of 
the  law.  [3]  In  Jeremiah  : — 

They  shall  spread  them  before  the  sun,  and  the  moon,  and  to  the 
armies  of  the  heavens,  whom  they  have  loved,  and  whom  they  have 
served,  and  after  whom  they  have  walked,  and  whom  they  have  sought 
(viii.  2), 

where  a  manifest  distinction  is  made  between  the  things  of 
love,  and  those  of  faith ;  the  things  of  love  being  expressed 
by  "  loving"  and  "  serving ;"  and  those  of  faith  by  "  walking" 
and  "  seeking."  In  all  the  prophetical  writings  every  expres- 
sion is  used  with  accuracy,  nor  is  one  term  ever  used  in  the 
place  of  another.  But  to  "walk  with  Jehovah,"  or  "before 
Jehovah,"  signifies,  in  the  Word,  to  live  the  life  of  love. 

520.  Verses  23,  24.  And  all  the  days  of  Enoch  were  three 
hundred  sixty  and  jive  years.     And  Enoch  walked  with   God, 
and  he  was  no  more,  for  God  took  him.     By  "  all  the  days  of 
Enoch  being  three  hundred  sixty  and  five  years,"  is  signified 
that  they  were  few.     By  his  "  walking  with  God,"  is  signified, 
as  above,  doctrine  concerning  faith.     By  "  he  was  no  more,  for 
God  took  him,"  is  signified  the  preservation  of  that  doctrine 
for  the  use  of  posterity. 

521.  As  to  the  words  "he  was  no  more,  for  God  took  him" 
signifying  the  preservation  of  that  doctrine  for  the  use  of  pos- 
terity, the  case  with  Enoch,  as  already  said,  is  that  he  reduced 
to  doctrine  what  in  the  Most  Ancient  Church  had  been  a  matter 
of  perception,  and  which  in  the  time  of  that  church  was  not 
allowable ;  for  to  know  by  perception  is  a  very  different  thing 
from  learning  by  doctrine.     They  who  are  in  perception  have 
no  need  to  learn  by  formulated  doctrine  that  which  they  know 
already.     For  example  :  he  who  knows  how  to  think  well,  has 
no  occasion  to  "be  taught  to  think  by  any  rules  of  art,  for  in 


224  GENESIS  [N.  52J 

this  way  his  faculty  of  thinking  well  would  be  impaired,  as  is 
the  case  with  those  who  stick  fast  in  scholastic  dust.  To  those 
who  learn  by  perception,  the  Lord  grants  to  know  what  is  good 
and  true  by  an  inward  way ;  but  to  those  who  learn  from  doc- 
trine, knowledge  is  given  by  an  external  way,  or  that  of  the 
bodily  senses ;  and  the  difference  is  like  that  between  light  and 
darkness.  Consider  also  that  the  perceptions  of  the  celestial 
man  are  such  as  to  admit  of  no  description,  for  they  enter  into 
the  most  minute  and  particular  things,  with  all  variety  accord- 
ing to  states  and  circumstances.  But  as  it  was  foreseen  that 
the  perceptive  faculty  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  would 
perish,  and  that  afterwards  mankind  would  learn  by  doctrines 
what  is  true  and  good,  or  by  darkness  would  come  to  light,  it 
is  here  said  that  "  God  took  him,"  that  is,  preserved  the  doc- 
trine for  the  use  of  posterity. 

522.  The  state  and  quality  of  the  perception  with  those  who 
were  called  "  Enoch"  have  also  been  made  known  to  me.     It 
was  a  kind  of  general  obscure  perception  without  any  distinct- 
ness ;  for  in  such  a  case  the  mind  determines  its  view  outside 
of  itself  into  the  doctrinal  things. 

523.  Verse  25.  And  Methuselah  lived  a  hundred  eighty  and 
seven  years,  and  begat  Lantech.     By  "  Methuselah"  is  signified 
an  eighth  church,  and  by  "  Lamech"  a  ninth. 

524.  Nothing  is  mentioned  concerning  the  quality  of  this 
church;  but  that  its  perceptive  faculty  was  general  and  ob- 
scure, is  evident  from  the  description  of  the  church  called 
"Noah;"    so  that  perfection  decreased,  and  with  perfection 
wisdom  and  intelligence. 

525.  Verses  26,  27.   And  Methuselah  lived  after  he  begat 
Lamech  seven  hundred  eighty  and  two  years,  and  begat  sons 
and  daughters.     And  all  the  days  of  Methuselah  were  nine 
hundred  and  sixty  and  nine  years,  and  he  died.     These  words 
have  a  like  signification. 

526.  Verse  28.  And  Lamech  lived  a  hundred  eighty  and  two 
years,  and  begat  a  son.    By  "  Lamech"  is  here  signified  a  ninth 
church,  wherein  the  perception  of  truth  and  good  was  so  gen- 
eral and  obscure  that  it  was  next  to  none,  so  that  the  church 
was  vastated      By  the  "son"  is  signified  the  rise  of  a  new 
church. 


N.  527]  CHAPTER   V.  VER.  28  225 

527.  That  by  "  Lamech"  is  signified  a  church  wherein  the 
perception  of  truth  and  good  was  so  general  and  obscure  as  to 
be  next  to  none,  consequently  a  church  vastated,  appears  from 
what  was  said  in  the  preceding  chapter,  and  from  what  fol- 
lows in  the  next  verse.     "  Lamech"  in  the  preceding  chapter 
has  nearly  the  same  signification  as  in  this,  namely,  vastation 
(concerning  which  see  verses  18,  19,  23,  24,  of  that  chapter) ; 
and  he  who  begat  him  is  also  called  by  nearly  the  same  name, 
"Methusael,"  so  that  the  things  signified  by  the  names  are 
nearly  the  same.     By  "  Methusael"  and  "  Methuselah"  is  sig- 
nified something  that  is  about  to  die ;  and  by  "  Lamech"  what 
is  destroyed. 

528.  Verse  29.   And  he  called  his  name  Noah,  saying,  He 
shall  comfort  us  from  our  work,  and  the  toil  of  our  hands,  out 
of  the  ground  which  Jehovah  hath  cursed.     By  "  Noah"  is  sig- 
nified the  Ancient  Church.    By  "  comforting  us  from  our  work 
and  the  toil  of  our  hands,  out  of  the  ground  which  Jehovah 
hath  cursed,"  is  signified  doctrine,  whereby  what  had   been 
perverted  would  be  restored. 

529.  That  by  "Noah"  is  signified  the  Ancient  Church,  or 
the  parent  of  the  three  churches  after  the  flood,  will  appear 
from  the  following  pages,  where  Noah  is  largely  treated  of. 

530.  By  the  names  in  this  chapter,  as  we  have  said,  are 
signified  churches,  or  what  is  the  same,  doctrines ;  for  the 
church  exists  and  has  its  name  from  doctrine ;  thus  by  "  Noah" 
is  signified  the  Ancient  Church,  or  the  doctrine  that  remained 
from  the  Most  Ancient  Church.     How  the  case  is  with  churches 
or  doctrines  has  already  been  stated,  namely,  that  they  decline, 
until  there  no  longer  remains  anything  of  the  goods  and  truths 
of  faith,  and  then  the  church  is  said  in  the  Word  to  be  vas- 
tated.    But  still  remains  are  always  preserved,  or  some  with 
whom  the  good  and  truth  of  faith  remain,  although  they  are 
few ;  for  unless  the  good  and  truth  of  faith  were  preserved  in 
these  few,  there  would  be  no  conjunction  of  heaven  with  man- 
kind.    As  regards  the  remains  that  are  in  a  man  individually, 
the  fewer  they  are  the  less  can  the  matters  of   reason  and 
knowledge  that  he  possesses  be  enlightened,  for  the  light  of 
good  and  truth  flows  in  from  the  remains,  or  through  the  re- 
mains, from  the  Lord.     If  there  were  no  remains  in  a  man  he 

VOL.  I.— 15 


226  GENESIS  [N.  530 

would  not  be  a  man,  but  much  viler  than  a  brute;  and  the 
fewer  remains  there  are,  the  less  is  he  a  man,  and  the  more 
remains  there  are,  the  more  is  he  a  man.  Remains  are  like 
some  heavenly  star,  which,  the  smaller  it  is  the  less  light  it 
gives,  and  the  larger,  the  more  light.  The  few  things  that  re- 
mained from  the  Most  Ancient  Church  were  among  those  who 
constituted  the  church  called  Noah;  but  these  were  not  re- 
mains of  perception,  but  of  perfection,  and  also  of  doctrine 
derived  from  the  things  of  perception  in  the  most  ancient 
churches ;  and  therefore  a  new  church  was  now  raised  up  by 
the  Lord,  which  being  of  an  entirely  different  native  character 
from  the  most  ancient  churches,  is  to  be  called  the  Ancient 
Church — Ancient  from  the  fact  that  it  existed  at  the  close  of 
the  ages  before  the  flood,  and  during  the  first  period  after  it. 
Of  this  church,  by  the  Divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  more  will  be 
said  hereafter. 

531.  That  by  "comforting  us  from  our  work  and  the  toil 
of  our  hands,  out  of  the  ground  which  Jehovah  hath  cursed," 
is  signified  doctrine,  whereby  what  had  been  perverted  would 
be  restored,  will  also  appear,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy,  in 
the  following  pages.     By  "  work"  is  signified  that  they  could 
not   perceive  what   is  true  except  with   labor   and  distress. 
By  the  "  toil  of  the  hands  out  of  the  ground  which  Jehovah 
bath  cursed,"  is  signified  that  they  could  do  nothing  good. 
Thus  is  described   "  Lamech,"  that  is,  the  vastated   church. 
There  is  "  work  and  labor  of  the  hands"  when,  from  themselves 
or  from  their  Own,  men  must  seek  out  what  is  true  and  do  what 
is  good.     That  which  comes  of  this  is  the  "  ground  which  Je- 
hovah hath  cursed,"  that  is,  nothing  comes  of  it  but  what  is 
false  and  evil.     (But  what  is  signified  by  "  Jehovah  cursing," 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  245.)    To  "  comfort"  has  reference  to  the 
"  son,"  or  Noah,  whereby  is  signified  a  new  regeneration,  thus 
a  new  church,  which  is  the  Ancient  Church.     By  this  church, 
or  "Noah,"  is  therefore  likewise  signified  rest,  and  comfort 
that  comes  from  rest,  just  as  it  was  said  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church  that  it  was  the  seventh  day,  in  which  the  Lord  rested. 
(See  n.  84  to  n.  88.) 

532.  Verses  30,  31.  And  Lamech  lived  after  he  begat  that 
Noah  (ilium  Noachum)  five  hundred  ninety  and  five  years,  and 


N.  532]  CHAPTER   V.  VERS.  30,  31  227 

begat  sons  and  daughters.  And  all  the  days  of  Lamech  were 
seven  hundred  seventy  and  seven  years,  and  he  died.  By 
"  Lamech,"  as  before  said,  is  signified  the  church  vastated.  By 
"  sons  and  daughters,"  are  signified  the  conceptions  and  births 
of  such  a  church. 

533.  As  nothing  more  is  related  concerning  Lamech  than 
that  he  begat  sons  and  daughters,  which  are  the  conceptions 
and  births  of  such  a  church,  we  shall  dwell  no  longer  on  the 
subject.     What  the  births  were,  or  the  "  sons  and  daughters," 
appears  from  the  church ;  for  such  as  is  the  church,  such  are 
the  births  from  it.     Both  the  churches  called  "  Methuselah" 
and  "  Lamech"  expired  just  before  the  flood. 

534.  Verse  32.  And  Noah  ivas  a  son  of  five,  hundred  years  ; 
and  Noah  begat  Shem,  ffam,  and  Japheth.    By  "  Noah,"  as  has 
been  said,  is  signified  the  Ancient  Church.     By  "  Shem,  Ham, 
and  Japheth"  are  signified  three  Ancient  Churches,  the  parent 
of  which  was  the  Ancient  Church  called  "  Noah." 

535.  That  the  church  called  "Noah"  is  not  to  be  numbered 
among  the  churches  that  were  before  the  flood,  appears  from 
verse  29,  where  it  is  said  that  it  should  "  comfort  them  from 
their  work  and  the  toil  of  their  hands,  out  of  the  ground  which 
Jehovah  hath  cursed."    The  "  comfort"  was  that  it  should  sur- 
vive and  endure.     But  concerning  Noah  and  his  sons,  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 

536.  As  in  the  foregoing  pages  much  has  been  said  about 
the  perception  possessed  by  the  churches  that  existed  before 
the  flood,  and  as  at  this  day  perception  is  a  thing  utterly 
unknown,  so  much  so  that  some  may  imagine  it  to  be  a  kind 
of  continuous  revelation,  or  to  be  something  implanted  in  men ; 
others  that  it  is  merely  imaginary,  and  others  other  things ; 
and  as  perception  is  the  very  Celestial  itself  given  by  the  Lord 
to  those  who  are  in  the  faith  of  love,  and  as  there  is  perception 
in  the  universal  heaven  of  endless  variety :  therefore  in  order 
that  there  may  be  among  men  some  conception  of  what  per- 
ception is,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  I  may  in  the  following 
pages  describe  the  principal  kinds  of  perception  that  exist  in 
the  Heavens. 


228  GENESIS  [N.  537 


CONTINUATION  CONCERNING  HEAVEN  AND  HEAVENLY  JOT. 

537.  A  certain  spirit  attached  himself  to  my  left  side,  and 
asked  me  whether  I  knew  how  he  could  get  into  heaven.     I 
was  permitted  to  tell  him  that  admission  into  heaven  belongs 
solely  to  the  Lord,  who  alone  knows  what  a  man's  quality  is. 
Very  many  arrive  from  the  world  who  make  it  their  sole  pur- 
suit to  get  into  heaven,  being  quite  ignorant  of  what  heaven 
is,  and  of  what  heavenly  joy  is,  that  heaven  is  mutual  love, 
and  that  heavenly  joy  is  the  derivative  joy.     Therefore  those 
who  do  not  know  this  are  first  instructed  about  it  by  actual 
experience.     For  example,  there  was  a  certain  spirit,  newly 
arrived  from  the  world,  who  in  like  manner  longed  for  heaven, 
and  in  order  that  he  might  perceive  what  the  nature  of  heaven 
is,  his  interiors  were  opened  so  that  he  should  feel  something 
of  heavenly  joy.    But  as  soon  as  he  felt  it  he  began  to  lament 
and  to  writhe,  and  begged  to  be  delivered,  saying   that  he 
could  not  live  on  account  of  the  anguish ;  and  therefore  his 
interiors  were  closed  toward  heaven,  and  in  this  way  he  was 
restored.     From  this  instance  we  may  see  with  what  pangs  of 
conscience  and  with  what  anguish  those  are  tortured  who  not 
being  prepared  for  it  are  admitted  even  but  a  little  way. 

538.  There  were  some  who  sought  admission  into  heaven 
without  knowing  what  heaven  is.     They  were  told  that  unless 
they  were  in  the  faith  of  love,  to  enter  heaven  would  be  as 
dangerous  as  going  into  a  flame ;  but  still  they  sought  for  it. 
When  they  arrived  at  the  first  entrance  court,  that  is  to  say, 
the  lower  sphere  of  angelic  spirits,  they  were  smitten  so  hard 
that  they  threw  themselves  headlong  back,  and  in  this  way 
were  taught  how  dangerous  it  is  merely  to  approach  heaven 
until  prepared  by  the  Lord  to  receive  the  affections  of  faith. 

539.  A  certain  spirit  who  during  his  life  in  the  body  had 
made  light  of  adulteries,  was  in  accordance  with  his  desire  ad- 
mitted to  the  first  threshold  of  heaven.     As  soon  as  he  came 
there  he  began  to  suffer  and  to  be  sensible  of  his  own  cadav- 
erous stench,  until  he  could  endure  it  no  longer.     It  seemed 
to  him  that  if  he  went  any  farther  he  should  perish,  and  he 
was  therefore  cast  down  to  the  lower  earth,  enraged  that  he 
should   feel   such   torment  at  the  first  threshold  of  heaven, 


N.  539]  HEAVENLY   JOY  229 

merely  because  he  had  arrived  in  a  sphere  that  was  contrary 
to  adulteries.     He  is  among  the  unhappy. 

540.  Almost  all  who  come  into  the  other  life  are  ignorant 
of  the  nature  of  heavenly  happiness  and  bliss,  because  they 
know  not  the  nature  and  quality  of  inward  joy.     They  form  a 
conception  of  it  merely  from  the  delights  and  joys  of  the  body 
and  the  world.    What  they  are  ignorant  of  they  suppose  to  be 
nothing,  the  truth  being  that  bodily  and  worldly  joys  are  rela- 
tively non-existent  and   foul.     In  order  therefore  that  those 
who  are  well  disposed  may  learn  and  may  know  what  heavenly 
joy  is,  they  are  taken  in  the  first  place  to  paradises  that  sur- 
pass every  conception  of  the  imagination  (concerning  which, 
of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter),  and  they  suppose  that 
they  have  arrived  in  the  paradise  of  heaven ;   but  they  are 
taught  that  this  is  not  true  heavenly  happiness,  and  are  there- 
fore permitted  to  experience  interior  states  of  joy  which  are 
perceptible  to  their  inmost  being.     They  are  then  transported 
into  a  state  of  peace,  even  to  their  inmost  being,  and  they  con- 
fess that  nothing  of  it  is  at  all  expressible  or  conceivable.   And 
finally  they  are  introduced  into  a  state  of  innocence,  also  to 
their  inmost  feeling.     In  this  way  are  they  permitted  to  learn 
the  nature  of  true  spiritual  and  celestial  good. 

541.  Certain  spirits  who  were    ignorant  of  the  nature  of 
heavenly  joy  were  unexpectedly  taken  up  into  heaven  after 
they  had  been  brought  into  such  a  state  as  to  render  this  pos- 
sible, that  is  to  say  a  state  in  which  their  bodily  things  and 
fanciful  notions  were  lulled  into  quiescence.     From  there  I 
heard  one  saying  to  me  that  now  for  the  first  time  he  felt  how 
great  is  the  joy  in  heaven,  and  that  he  had  been  very  greatly 
deceived  in  having  a  different  idea  of  it,  but  that  now  he  per- 
ceived in  his  inmost  being  a  joy  immeasurably  greater  than  he 
had  ever  felt  in  any  bodily  pleasure  such  as  men  are  delighted 
with  in  the  life  of  the  body,  and  which  he  called  foul. 

542.  They  who  are  taken  up  into  heaven  in  order  that  they 
may  know  its  quality  either  have  their  bodily  things  and  fanci- 
ful notions  lulled  to  quiescence — for  no  one  can  enter  heaven 
with  the  bodily  things  and  fanciful  notions  that  they  take  with 
them  from  this  world — or  else  they  are  surrounded  by  a  sphere 
of  spirits  wno  miraculously  temper  such  things  as  are  impure 


230  GENESIS  [N.  542 

and  that  cause  disagreement.  With  some  the  interiors  are 
opened.  In  these  and  other  ways  they  are  prepared,  according 
to  their  lives  and  the  nature  thereby  acquired. 

543.  Certain  spirits  longed  to  know  the  nature  of  heavenly 
joy,  and  were  therefore  allowed  to  perceive  the  inmost  of  their 
own,  to  such  a  degree  that  they  could  bear  no  more ;  and  yet 
it  was  not  angelic  joy,  being  scarcely  equal  to  the  least  angelic 
joy,  as  was  given  me  to  perceive  by  a  communication  of  their 
joy.     It  was  so  slight  as  to  be  as  it  were  chilly,  and  yet  being 
their  inmost  joy  they  called  it  most  heavenly.     From  this  it 
was  evident  not  only  that  there  are  degrees  of  joys,  but  also 
that  the  inmost  of  one  scarcely  approaches  the  outmost  or 
middle  of  another,  and  that  when  any  one  receives  his  own 
inmost  joy,  he  is  in  his  heavenly  joy,  and  cannot  endure  that 
which  is  still  more  interior,  for  it  becomes  painful. 

544.  Certain  spirits  who  were  admitted  into  the  heaven  of 
innocence  of  the  first  heaven  spoke  to  me  thence,  and  confessed 
that  the  state  of  joy  and   gladness  was  such  as  they  never 
could  have  conceived  any  idea  of.     Yet  this  was  only  in  the 
first  heaven,  and  there  are  three  heavens,  and  states  of  inno- 
cence in  each,  with  their  innumerable  varieties. 

545.  But  in  order  that  I  might  know  the  nature  and  quality 
of  heaven  and  of  heavenly  joy,  for  long  and  often  I  have  been 
permitted  by  the  Lord  to  perceive  the  delights  of  heavenly 
joys,  so  that  as  I  know  them  from  actual  experience  I  can 
indeed  know  them,  but  can  by  110  means  describe  them.    How- 
ever, in  order  to  give  some  idea  of  it  I  may  say  that  heavenly 
joy  is  an  affection  of  innumerable  delights  and  joys  that  form 
one  general  simultaneous  joy,  in  which  general  joy,  that  is,  in 
which  general  affection,  there  are  harmonies  of  innumerable 
affections  that  do  not  come  distinctly  to  perception,  but  ob- 
scurely, because  the  perception  is  very  general.     Yet  I  was 
permitted  to  perceive  that  there  are  things  innumerable  within 
it,  in  such  order  as  can  never  be  described,  these  innumerable 
things  being  such  as  flow  from  the  order  of  heaven.     Such 
order  exists  in  every  least  thing  of  the  affection,  all  of  which 
together  are  presented  and  perceived  as  a  very  general  one 
according  to  the  capacity  of  him  who  is  the  subject  of  it.     In 
a  word,  in  every  general  joy  or  affection  there  are  illimitable 


N.  645]  HEAVENLY  JOY  231 

things  ordinated  in  a  most  perfect  form,  and  there  is  nothing 
that  is  not  alive  or  that  does  not  affect  even  the  inmost  things 
of  our  being,  for  heavenly  joys  proceed  from  inmost  things. 
I  perceived  also  that  the  joy  and  deliciousness  came  as  if  from 
the  heart,  and  very  softly  diffused  themselves  through  all  the 
inmost  fibers,  and  so  into  the  congregated  fibers,  with  such  an 
inmost  sense  of  delight  that  the  fiber  is  as  it  were  nothing  but 
joy  and  deliciousness,  and  the  whole  derivative  perceptive  and 
sensitive  sphere  the  same,  being  alive  with  happiness.  In 
comparison  with  these  joys  the  joy  of  bodily  pleasures  is  like 
gross  and  pungent  dust  as  compared  with  a  pure  and  gentle 
breeze. 

546.  In  order  that  I  might  know  how  the  case  is  with  those 
who  desire  to  be  in  heaven  and  are  not  such  that  they  can  be 
there,  once  when  I  was  in  some  heavenly  society,  an  angel  ap- 
peared to  me  as  an  infant  with  a  chaplet  of  bright  blue  flowers 
about  its  head,  and  girded  about  the  breast  with  wreaths  of 
other  colors.  By  this  I  was  given  to  know  that  I  was  in  some 
society  where  there  was  charity.  Some  well-disposed  spirits 
were  then  admitted  into  the  same  society,  who  the  moment 
they  entered  became  much  more  intelligent,  and  spoke  like 
angelic  spirits.  Afterwards  some  were  admitted  who  desired 
to  be  innocent  from  themselves,  whose  state  was  represented 
to  me  by  an  infant  that  vomited  milk  out  of  its  mouth.  Such 
is  their  state.  Then  some  were  admitted  who  supposed  that 
they  were  intelligent  from  themselves,  and  their  state  was 
represented  by  their  faces,  which  appeared  sharp,  but  fair 
enough ;  and  they  seemed  to  wear  a  peaked  hat  from  which  a 
sharp  point  projected,  but  their  faces  did  not  appear  to  be  of 
human  flesh,  but  as  if  carved  out  and  devoid  of  life.  Such  is 
the  state  of  those  who  believe  that  they  are  spiritual  from 
themselves,  that  is,  able  from  themselves  to  have  faith.  Other 
spirits  were  admitted  who  could  not  remain  there,  but  were 
dismayed,  became  distressed,  and  fled  away. 


232  GENESIS  [N.  647 

CHAPTER   THE   SIXTH. 

CONCERNING  HEAVEN  AND  HEAVENLY  JOT. 

547.  The  souls  who  come  into  the  other  life  are  all  ignorant 
of  the  nature  of  heaven  and  of   heavenly  joy.     Very  many 
suppose  it  to  be  a  kind  of  joy  into  which  any  can  be  admitted 
no  matter  how  they  have  lived,  even  those  who  have  borne 
hatred  against  their  neighbor  and  have  passed  their  lives  in 
adulteries,  being   quite  unaware  of  the  fact  that   heaven  is 
mutual  and  chaste  love,  and  that  heavenly  joy  is  the  deriva- 
tive happiness. 

548.  I  have  sometimes  spoken  with  spirits  fresh  from  the 
world  concerning  the  state  of  eternal  life,  telling  them  how 
important  it  was  for  them  to  know  who  is  the  Lord  of  that 
kingdom,  and  what  is  the  nature  and  form  of  its  government, 
just  as  those  in  this  world  who  go  into  another  kingdom  are 
especially  interested   to   know  who  and  of  what  sort  is  the 
king,  what  is  the  nature  of  the  government,  and  many  other 
things  that  belong  to  the  kingdom  ;  and  how  much  more  should 
they  be  interested  in  this  kingdom,  where  they  are  to  live  for- 
ever.    I  told  them  that  the  Lord  alone  rules  both  heaven  and 
the  universe,  for  He  who  rules  the  one  must  rule  the  other ; 
and  that  the  kingdom  in  which  they  were  now  is  the  Lord's 
kingdom,  the  laws  of  which  are  eternal  truths,  all  of  which 
are  based  on  the  one  great  law  that  men  shall  love  the  Lord 
above  all  things  and  their  neighbor  as  themselves,  and  now 
even  more  than  themselves,  for  if  they  would  be  as  the  angels 
this  is  what  they  must  do.     To  all  this  they  could  make  no 
reply  because  in  their  bodily  life  they  had  heard  something  of 
the  kind,  but  had  not  believed  it.     They  marvelled  that  there 
is  such  love  in  heaven,  and  that  it  is  possible  for  any  one  to 
love  his  neighbor  more  than  himself,  seeing   that  they  had 
heard  that  they  were  to  love  their  neighbor  as  themselves. 
But  they  were  instructed  that  in  the  other  life  all  goods  are 
immeasurably  increased,  and  that  the  life  in  the  body  is  such 
that  men  can  go  no  further  than  loving  the  neighbor  as  them- 
selves, because  they  are  in  the  things  of  the  body,  but  that 


N.  548]  HEAVENLY  JOY  233 

when  these  are  removed,  the  love  becomes  purer,  and  at  last 
angelic,  which  consists  in  loving  the  neighbor  more  than  them- 
selves. The  possibility  of  such  love  is  evident  from  the  con- 
jugial  love  that  exists  with  some  persons,  who  would  suffer 
death  rather  than  let  their  married  partner  be  injured ;  and 
also  from  the  love  of  parents  for  their  children,  in  that  a 
mother  will  endure  starvation  rather  than  see  her  infant 
hunger,  and  this  even  among  birds  and  animals ;  and  likewise 
from  sincere  friendship,  in  that  perils  will  be  undergone  for 
our  friends ;  and  even  from  polite  and  feigned  friendship,  that 
would  emulate  real  friendship  in  offering  the  better  things  to 
those  to  whom  we  wish  well,  making  great  professions  even 
when  they  do  not  come  from  the  heart.  And  finally  its  possi- 
bility is  evident  from  the  very  nature  of  love,  which  finds  its 
joy  in  being  of  service  to  others,  not  for  the  sake  of  self  but 
for  the  love's  own  sake.  But  all  this  could  not  be  compre- 
hended by  those  who  loved  themselves  more  than  others,  and 
who  in  the  bodily  life  had  been  greedy  for  gain,  and  least  of 
all  by  the  avaricious. 

549.  The  angelic  state  is  such  that  every  one  communicates 
his  own  bliss  and  happiness  to  others.     For  in  the  other  life 
there  is  a  most  exquisite  communication  and  perception  of  all 
the  affections  and  thoughts,  so  that  each  person  communicates 
his  joy  to  all,  and  all  to  each,  so  that  each  one  is  as  it  were  the 
center  of  all.     This  is  the  heavenly  form.     And  therefore  the 
more  there  are  who  constitute  the  Lord's  kingdom,  the  greater 
is  the  happiness,  for  it  increases  in  proportion  to  the  numbers, 
and  this  is  why  heavenly  happiness  is  unutterable.     There  is 
this  communication  of  all  with  each  and  of  each  with  all  when 
every  one  loves  others  more  than  himself.     But  if  any  one 
wishes  better   for   himself   than  for  others  the  love  of  self 
reigns,  which  communicates  nothing  to  others  from  itself  ex- 
cept the  idea  of  self,  which  is  very  foul,  and  when  this  is  per- 
ceived the  person  is  at  once  banished  and  rejected. 

550.  Just  as  in  the  human  body  all  things  both  in  general 
and  particular  contribute  to  the  general  and  individual  uses  of 
all  the  rest,  so  is  it  in  the  Lord's  kingdom,  which  is  constituted 
like  a  man,  and  in  fact  is  called  the  Grand  Man.     In  this  way 
every  one  there  contributes  either  more  nearly  or  more  re- 


234  GENESIS  [N.  550 

motely,  and  in  many  ways,  to  the  happiness  of  all,  and  this  in 
accordance  with  the  order  instituted  and  consequently  main- 
tained by  the  Lord  alone. 

551.  From  the  universal    heaven   bearing    relation  to  the 
Lord,  and  all  there  in  both  general  and  particular  bearing 
relation  to  the  Very  and  Only  Being  both  in  the  universal  as  a 
whole  and  in  its  most  individual  constituents,  there   comes 
order,  there  conies  union,  there  comes  mutual  love,  and  there 
comes  happiness ;  for  so  each  person  regards  the  welfare  and 
happiness  of  all,  and  all  that  of  each  one. 

552.  That  all  the  joy  and  happiness  in  heaven  are  from  the 
Lord  alone,  has  been  shown  me  by  many  experiences,  of  which 
the  following  may  be  related.     I  saw  that  with  the  utmost 
diligence  some  angelic  spirits  were  fashioning  a  lampstand 
with  its  lamps  and  flowers  of  the  richest  ornamentation  in 
honor  of  the  Lord.     For  an  hour  or  two  I  was  permitted  to 
witness  with  what  great  pains  they  labored  to  make  everything 
about  it  beautiful  and  representative,  they  supposing  that  they 
were  doing  it  of  themselves.     But  to  me  it  was  given  to  per- 
ceive that  of  themselves  they  could  devise  nothing  at  all.     At 
last  after  some  hours  they  said  that  they  had  formed  a  very 
beautiful  representative  candelabrum  in  honor  of  the  Lord, 
whereat  they  rejoiced  from  their  very  hearts.    But  I  told  them 
that  of  themselves  they  had  devised  and  formed  nothing  at 
all,  but  the  Lord  alone  for  them.    At  first  they  would  scarcely 
believe  this,  but  being  angelic  spirits  they  were  enlightened, 
and  confessed  that  it  was  so.     So  it  is  with  all  other  repre- 
sentative things,  and  with  everything  of  affection  and  thought 
in  both  general  and  particular,  and  also  with  heavenly  joys 
and  felicities — the  very  smallest  bit  of  them  is  from  the  Lord 
alone. 

553.  They  who  are  in  mutual  love  in  heaven  are  continually 
advancing  to  the  springtime  of  their  youth,  and  to  a  more  and 
more  gladsome  and  happy  spring  the  more  thousands  of  years 
they  live,  and  this  with  continual  increase  to  eternity,  accord- 
ing to  the  advance  and  degree  of  mutual  love,  charity,  and 
faith.     Those  of  the  female  sex  who  have  died  in  old  age  and 
enfeebled  with  years,  and  who  have  lived  in  faith  in  the  Lord, 
in  charity  toward  the  neighbor,  and  in  happy  conjugial  love 


N.  653]  HEAVENLY  JOY  235 

with  their  husbands,  after  a  succession  of  years  come  more  and 
more  into  the  bloom  of  youth  and  early  womanhood,  and  into 
a  beauty  that  surpasses  all  idea  of  beauty  such  as  is  ever  per- 
ceptible to  the  natural  sight ;  for  it  is  goodness  and  charity 
forming  and  presenting  their  own  likeness,  and  causing  the 
delight  and  beauty  of  charity  to  shine  forth  from  every  least 
feature  of  the  countenance,  so  that  they  are  the  very  forms  of 
charity  :  some  have  beheld  them  and  been  amazed.  The  form 
of  charity,  as  is  seen  to  the  life  in  the  other  world,  is  such 
that  it  is  charity  itself  that  portrays  and  is  portrayed,  and  this 
in  such  a  manner  that  the  whole  angel,  and  especially  the  face, 
is  as  it  were  charity,  the  charity  both  plainly  appearing  to  the 
view  and  being  perceived  by  the  mind.  When  this  form  is 
beheld,  it  is  unutterable  beauty  that  affects  with  charity  the 
very  inmost  life  of  the  beholder's  mind.  Through  the  beauty 
of  this  form  the  truths  of  faith  are  presented  to  view  in  an 
image,  and  are  even  perceived  from  it.  Such  forms,  or  such 
beauties,  do  those  become  in  the  other  life  who  have  lived  in 
faith  in  the  Lord,  that  is,  in  the  faith  of  charity.  All  the 
angels  are  such  forms,  with  countless  variety,  and  of  such  is 
heaven. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  man  began  to  multiply  him. 
self  upon  the  faces  of  the  ground,  and  daughters  were  born 
unto  them. 

2.  And  the  sons  of  God  saw  the  daughters  of  man  that  they 
were  good ;  and  they  took  to  themselves  wives  of  all  that  they 
chose. 

3.  And  Jehovah  said,  My  spirit  shall  not  reprove  man  for- 
ever, for  that  he  is  flesh ;  and  his  days  shall  be  a  hundred  and 
twenty  years. 

4.  There  were  Nephilim  in  the  earth  in  those  days ;  and 
most  especially  after  the  sons  of  God  went  in  unto  the  daugh- 
ters of  man,  and  they  bare  to  them ;  the  same  became  mighty 
men,  who  were  of  old,  men  of  renown. 


236  GENESIS  [N.  554 

5.  And  Jehovah  saw  that  the  evil  of  man  was  multiplied  on 
the  earth,  and  that  all  the  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  his 
heart  was  only  evil  every  day. 

6.  And  it  repented  Jehovah  that  He  had  made  man  on  the 
earth,  and  it  grieved  Him  at  His  heart. 

7.  And  Jehovah  said,  I  will  destroy  man  whom  I  have 
created,  from  upon  the  faces  of  the  ground,  both  man  and 
beast,  and  creeping  thing,  and  fowl  of   the  heavens ;    for  it 
repenteth  Me  that  I  have  made  them. 

8.  And  Noah  found  grace  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah. 


THE   CONTENTS. 

554.  The  subject  here  treated  of  is  the  state  of  the  people 
before  the  flood. 

555.  That  with  man,  where  the  church  was,  cupidities — 
which  are  the  "  daughters" — began  to  reign.     Also  that  they 
conjoined  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith  with  their  cupidities, 
and  thus  confirmed  themselves  in  evils  and  falses,  which  is 
signified  by  "  the  sons  of  God  taking  to  themselves  wives  of 
the  daughters  of  man"  (verses  1,  2). 

556.  And  whereas  there  were  thus  no  remains  of  good  and 
truth  left,  it  is  foretold  that  man  should  be  differently  formed, 
in  order  that  he  might  have  remains,  which  are  "  a  hundred 
and  twenty  years"  (verse  3). 

557.  Those  who  immersed  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith  in 
their  cupidities,  and  in  consequence  of  this  as  well  as  of  the 
love  of  self  conceived  dreadful  persuasions  of  their  own  great- 
ness in  comparison  with  others,  are  signified  by  the  "  Nephilim" 
(verse  4). 

558.  In  consequence  of  this  there  no  longer  remained  any 
will  or  perception  of  good  and  truth  (verse  5). 

559.  The  mercy  of  the  Lord  is  described  by  "  repenting  and 
grieving  at  heart"  (verse  6).    That  they  became  such  that  their 
cupidities  and   persuasions  must  needs  prove  fatal   to  them 
(verse  7).     Therefore  in  order  that  the  human  race  might  be 
saved,  a  new  church  should  arise,  which  is  "Noah"  (verse  8). 


N.  560]  CHAPTER   VI.  237 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

560.  Before  proceeding  further  we  may  mention  how  the 
case  was  with  the  church  before  the  flood.    Speaking  generally, 
it  was  as  with  succeeding  churches,  as  with  the  Jewish  Church 
before  the  Lord's  advent,  and  the  Christian  Church  after  His 
advent,  in  that  it  had  corrupted  and  adulterated  the  knowl- 
edges of  true  faith;   but  specifically,  as  regards  the  man  of 
the  church  before  the  flood,  he  in  course  of  time  conceived 
direful  persuasions,  and  immersed   the  goods  and   truths  of 
faith  in  foul  cupidities,  insomuch  that  there  were  scarcely  any 
remains  in  them.     When  they  came  into  this  state  they  were 
suffocated  as  if  of  themselves,  for  man  cannot  live  without 
remains ;  for,  as  we  have  said,  it  is  in  the  remains  that  the 
life  of  man  is  superior  to  that  of  brutes.     From  remains,  that 
is,  through  remains  from  the  Lord,  man  is  able  to  be  as  man, 
to  know  what  is  good  and  true,  to  reflect  upon  matters  of  every 
kind,  and  consequently  to  think  and  to  reason  ;  for  in  remains 
alone  is  there  spiritual  and  celestial  life. 

561.  But  what  are  remains  ?     They  are  not  only  the  goods 
and  truths  that  a  man  has  learned  from  the  Lord's  Word  from 
infancy,  and  has  thus  impressed  on  his  memory,  but  they  are 
also  all  the  states  thence  derived,  such  as  states  of  innocence 
from  infancy ;  states  of  love  toward  parents,  brothers,  teachers, 
friends ;    states  of  charity  toward  the  neighbor,  and  also  of 
pity  for  the  poor  and  needy ;  in  a  word,  all  states  of  good  and 
truth.     These  states  together  with  the  goods  and  truths  im- 
pressed on  the   memory,  are  called   remains,  which  are  pre- 
served in  man  by  the  Lord  and  are  stored  up,  entirely  without 
his  knowledge,  in  his  internal  man,  and  are  completely  sepa- 
rated from  the  things  that  are  proper  to  man,  that  is,  from 
evils  and  falsities.     All  these  states  are  so  preserved  in  man 
by  the  Lord  that  not  the  least  of  them  is  lost,  as  I  have  been 
given  to  know  from  the  fact  that  every  state  of  a  man,  from 
his  infancy  to  extreme  old  age,  not  only  remains  in  the  other 
life,  but  also  returns,  in  fact  his  states  return  exactly  as  they 
were  while  he  lived  in  this  world      Not  only  do  the  goods  and 
truths  of  memory  thus  remain  and  return,  but  also  all  states  of 


238  GENESIS  [N.  561 

innocence  and  charity.  And  when  states  of  evil  and  falsity 
recur — for  each  and  all  of  these,  even  the  smallest,  also  re- 
main and  return — then  these  states  are  tempered  by  the  Lord 
by  means  of  the  good  states.  From  all  this  it  is  evident  that 
if  a  man  had  no  remains  he  must  necessarily  be  in  eternal 
damnation.  (See  what  was  said  before  at  n.  468.) 

562.  The  people  before  the  flood  were  such  that  at  last  they 
had  almost  no  remains,  because  they  were  of  such  a  genius 
that  they  became  imbued  with  direful  and  abominable  persua- 
sions concerning  all  things  that  occurred  to  them  or  came  into 
their  thought,  so  that  they  would  not  go  back  from  them  one 
whit,  for  they  were  possessed  with  the  most  enormous  love  of 
self,  and  supposed  themselves  to  be  as  gods,  and  that  whatever 
they  thought  was  Divine.     No  such  persuasion  has  ever  existed 
in  any  people  before  or  since,  for  it  is  deadly  or  suffocative, 
and  therefore  in  the  other  life  the  antediluvians  cannot  be  with 
any  other  spirits,  for  when  they  are  present  they  take  away 
from  them  all  power  of  thought  by  injecting  their  fearfully 
determined  persuasions,  not  to  mention  other  matters  which  of 
the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  shall  be  spoken  of  in  what  follows. 

563.  When  such  a  persuasion  takes  possession  of  a  man,  it 
is  like  a  glue  which  catches  in  its  sticky  embrace  the  goods 
and  truths  that   otherwise  would   be    remains,  the  result  of 
which  is  that  remains  can  no  longer  be  stored  up,  and  those 
which  have  been  stored  up  can  be  of  no  use ;  and  therefore 
when  these  people  arrived  at  the  summit  of  such  persuasion 
they  became  extinct  of  their  own  accord,  and  were  suffocated 
by  an  inundation  not  unlike  a  flood ;  and  therefore  their  ex- 
tinction is  compared  to  a  "flood,"  and  also,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  most  ancient  people,  is  described  as  one. 

564.  Verse  1.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  man  began  to  multi- 
ply himself  upon  the  faces  of  the  ground,  and  daughters  were 
born  unto  them.     By  "  man  (homo)1"  is  here  signified  the  race 
of   mankind    existing  at   that  time.     By  the    "  faces    of   the 
ground"  is  signified  all  that  tract  where  the  church  was.     By 
"  daughters"  are  here  signified  the  things  appertaining  to  the 
will  of  that  man,  consequently  cupidities. 

565.  That  by  "man"  is  here  signified  the  race  of  mankind 
existing  at  that  time,  and  indeed  a  race  which  was  evil  or  cor- 


N.  565]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  1  239 

rupt,  appears  from  the  following  passages  :  "  My  spirit  shall 
not  reprove  man  forever,  for  that  he  is  flesh"  (verse  3).  "  The 
evil  of  man  was  multiplied  on  the  earth,  and  the  imagination 
of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only  evil"  (verse  5).  "  I  will 
destroy  man  whom  I  have  created"  (verse  7) ;  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing chapter  (verses  21,  22),  "  All  flesh  died  that  crept  upon 
the  earth,  and  every  man,  in  whose  nostrils  was  the  breath  of 
the  spirit  of  lives."  Of  man  it  has  already  been  said  that  the 
Lord  alone  is  Man,  and  that  from  Him  every  celestial  man,  or 
celestial  church,  is  called  "  man."  Hence  all  of  other  churches 
are  called  men ;  and  so  is  every  one,  no  matter  of  what  faith, 
to  distinguish  him  from  the  brutes.  But  still  a  man  is  not  a 
man,  and  distinct  from  the  brutes,  except  by  virtue  of  remains, 
which  are  of  the  Lord.  From  these  also  a  man  is  called  man, 
and  inasmuch  as  he  is  so  called  by  reason  of  remains,  which 
belong  to  the  Lord,  it  is  from  Him  that  he  has  the  name  of 
man  be  he  ever  so  wicked,  for  a  man  is  by  no  means  man,  but 
the  vilest  of  brutes,  unless  he  has  remains. 

566.  That  by  the  "  faces  of  the  ground"  is  signified  all  that 
region  where  the  church  was,  is  evident  from  the  signification 
of  "  ground ;"  for  in  the  Word  there  is  an  accurate  distinction 
made  between  "  ground"  and  "  earth ;"  by  "  ground"  is  every- 
where signified  the  church,  or  something  belonging  to  the 
church ;  and  from  this  comes  the  name  of  "  man,"  or  "  Adam," 
which  is  "  ground ;"  by  "  earth"  in  various  places  is  meant 
where  there  is  no  church,  or  anything  belonging  to  the  church, 
as  in  the  first  chapter,  where  "  earth"  only  is  named,  because 
as  yet  there  was  no  church,  or  regenerate  man.  The  "  ground" 
is  first  spoken  of  in  the  second  chapter,  because  then  there 
was  a  church.  In  like  manner  it  is  said  here,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing chapter  (verses  4,  23),  that  "  every  substance  should  be 
destroyed  from  off  the  faces  of  the  ground,"  signifying  in  the 
region  where  the  church  was ;  but  in  verse  3,  speaking  of  a 
church  about  to  be  created,  it  is  said,  "  to  keep  seed  alive  on 
the  faces  of  the  ground."  "  Ground"  has  the  same  significa- 
tion everywhere  in  the  Word ;  as  in  Isaiah : — 


Jehovah  will  have  mercy  on  Jacob,  and  will  yet  choose  Israel,  and 
will  set  them  upon  their  own  ground,  and  the  peoples  shall  take  them, 


240  GENESIS  [N.  566 

and  shall  bring  them  to  their  place,  and  the  house  of  Israel  shall  inherit 
them  on  the  ground  of  Jehovah  (xiv.  1,  2), 

speaking  of  the  church  that  has  been  made ;  whereas  where 
there  is  no  church  it  is  in  the  same  chapter  called  "earth" 
(verses  9,  12,  16,  20,  21,  25,  26).  [2]  Again  :— 

And  the  ground  of  Judah  shall  be  a  terror  unto  Egypt ;  in  that  day 
there  shall  be  five  cities  in  the  land  of  Egypt  speaking  with  the  lip  of 
Canaan  (xix.  17,  18), 

where  "  ground"  signifies  the  church,  and  "  land"  where  there 
is  no  church.  In  the  same : — 

The  earth  shall  reel  to  and  fro  like  a  drunkard ;  Jehovah  shall  visit 
upon  the  army  of  the  height  in  the  height,  and  upon  the  kings  of  the 
ground  on  the  ground  (xxiv.  20,  21). 

In  Jeremiah : — 

Because  of  the  ground  that  is  worn,  because  there  was  no  rain  on  the 
earth,  the  husbandmen  were  ashamed,  they  covered  their  heads,  yea,  the 
hind  also  calved  in  the  field  (xiv.  4,  5), 

where  "earth"  is  that  which  contains  the  "ground,"  and 
"  ground"  that  which  contains  the  "  field."  [3]  In  the  same  : — 

He  brought  the  seed  of  the  house  of  Israel  from  the  northern  land, 
from  all  the  lands  whither  I  have  driven  them,  and  they  shall  dwell  on 
their  own  ground  (xxiii.  8), 

where  "land"  and  "lands"  are  where  there  are  no  churches; 
"  ground"  where  there  is  a  church  or  true  worship.  Again  : — 

I  will  give  the  remains  of  Jerusalem,  them  that  are  left  in  this  land, 
and  them  that  dwell  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  I  will  deliver  them  to 
commotion,  for  evil  to  all  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  I  will  send  the 
sword,  the  famine,  and  pestilence  among  them,  till  they  be  consumed 
from  off  the  ground  which  I  gave  to  them  and  to  their  fathers  (xxiv.  8, 
9,  10), 

where  "  ground"  signifies  doctrine  and  the  worship  thence  de- 
rived ;  and  in  like  manner  in  the  same  Prophet,  chapter  xxv. 
5.  [4]  In  Ezekiel  :— 

I  will  gather  you  out  of  the  lands  wherein  ye  have  been  scattered, 
and  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  Jehovah  when  I  shall  bring  you  again  into 
the  ground  of  Israel,  into  the  land  for  which  I  lifted  up  My  hand  to  give 
it  to  your  fathers  (xx.  41,  42), 

where  "  ground"  signifies  internal  worship ;  it  is  called  "  land" 
when  there  is  no  internal  worship.  In  Malachi : — 


S.  566]  CHAPTER   VI.    VER.  1  241 

I  will  rebuke  him  that  consumeth  for  your  sakes,  and  he  shall  not  cor- 
rupt for  you  the  fruit  of  the  ground,  nor  shall  the  vine  be  bereaved  for 
you  in  the  field  ;  and  all  nations  shall  call  you  blessed,  because  ye  shall 
be  a  delightsome  land  (Hi.  11,  12), 

where  "  land"  denotes  the  containant,  and  therefore  it  plainly 
denotes  man,  who  is  called  "  land"  when  "  ground"  denotes  the 
church,  or  doctrine.  [5]  In  Moses : — 

Sing,  O  ye  nations,  His  people,  He  will  make  expiation  for  His  ground, 
His  people  (Deul.  xxxii.  43), 

evidently  signifying  the  Church  of  the  Gentiles,  which  is 
called  "  ground."  In  Isaiah  : — 

Before  the  child  shall  know  to  refuse  the  evil  and  choose  the  good,  the 
ground  shall  be  forsaken,  which  thou  abhorrest  in  presence  of  both  her 
kings  (vii.  16), 

speaking  of  the  advent  of  the  Lord ;  that  the  "  ground  will  be 
forsaken"  denotes  the  church,  or  the  true  doctrine  of  faith. 
That  "  ground"  and  "  field"  are  so  called  from  being  sown  with 
seed,  is  evident ;  as  in  Isaiah : — 

Then  shall  he  give  rain  of  thy  seed  wherewith  thou  shalt  sow  the 
ground ;  the  oxen  also  and  the  young  asses  that  labor  on  the  ground 
(xx.  23,  24). 

And  in  Joel : — 

The  field  is  laid  waste,  and  the  ground  hath  mourned,  because  the 
corn  is  laid  waste  (i.  10). 

Hence  then  it  is  evident  that  "man,"  who  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue  is  called  "  Adam,"  from  "  ground,"  signifies  the  church. 
567.  All  that  region  is  called  the  region  of  the  church  where 
those  live  who  are  instructed  in  the  doctrine  of  true  faith ;  as 
the  land  of  Canaan,  when  the  Jewish  Church  was  there,  and 
Europe,  where  the  Christian  Church  now  is ;  the  lands  and 
countries  outside  of  this  are  not  the  region  of  the  church,  or 
the  "  faces  of  the  ground."  Where  the  church  was  before  the 
flood,  may  also  appear  from  the  lands  which  the  rivers  en- 
compassed that  went  forth  from  the  garden  of  Eden,  by  which 
in  various  parts  of  the  Word  are  likewise  described  the 
boundaries  of  the  land  of  Canaan;  and  also  from  what  fol- 
lows concerning  the  Nephilim  that  were  "in  the  land',"  and 
that  these  Nephilim  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Canaan  is  evident 
VOL.  I.— 16 


242  GENESIS  [N.  567 

from  what  is  said  of  the  sons  of  Anak :    that  they  were  "  of 
the  Nephilim"  (Num.  xiii.  33). 

568.  That  "daughters"  signify  such  things  as  are  of  the 
will  of  that  man,  consequently  cupidities,  is  evident  from  what 
was  said  and  shown  concerning  "  sons  and  daughters"  in  the 
preceding  chapter  (verse  4),  where  "  sons"  signify  truths,  and 
"  daughters/*  goods.     "  Daughters,"  or  goods,  are  of  the  will, 
but  such  as  a  man  is,  such  is  his  understanding  and  such  his 
will,  thus  such  are  the  "  sons  and  daughters."     The  present 
passage  treats  of  man  in  a  corrupt  state,  who  has  no  will,  but 
mere  cupidity  instead  of  will,  which  is  supposed  by  him  to  be 
will,  and  is  also  so  called.    What  is  predicated  is  in  accordance 
with  the  quality  of  the  thing  whereof  it  is  predicated,  and 
that  the  man  of  whom  the  daughters  are  here  predicated  was 
a   corrupt  man,   has    been   shown  before.     The  reason  why 
"  daughters"  signify  the  things  of  the  will,  and,  where  there 
is  no  will  of  good,  cupidities ;  and  why  "  sons"  signify  the 
things  of  the  understanding,  and,  where  there   is  no  under- 
standing of  truth,  phantasies,  is  that  the  female  sex  is  such, 
and  so  formed,  that  the  will  or  cupidity  reigns  in  them  more 
than  the  understanding.     Such  is  the  entire  disposition  of 
their  fibers,  and  such  their  nature,  whereas  the  male  sex  is  so 
formed  that  the  intellect  or  reason  rules,  such  also  being  the 
disposition  of  their  fibers  and  such  their  nature.     Hence  the 
marriage  of  the  two  is  like  that  of  the  will  and  the  under- 
standing in  every  man ;  and  since  at  this  day  there  is  no  will 
of  good,  but  only  cupidity,  and  still  something  intellectual,  or 
rational,  can  be  given,  this  is  why  so  many  laws  were  enacted 
in  the  Jewish  Church  concerning  the  prerogative  of  the  hus- 
band (vir~),  and  the  obedience  of  the  wife. 

569.  Verse  2.  And  the  sons  of  God  saw  the  daughters  of 
man  that  they  were  good,  and  they  took  to  themselves  wives  of 
all  that  they  chose.     By  the  "sons  of  God"  are  signified  the 
doctrinal  things  of  faith.     By  "daughters,"  here  as  before, 
cupidities.    By  the  "  sons  of  God  seeing  the  daughters  of  man 
that  they  were  good,  and  taking  to  themselves  wives  of  all 
that  they  chose,"  is  signified  that  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith 
conjoined  themselves  with  cupidities,  in  fact  with  any  cupidi- 
ties whatever. 


N.  670]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  2  243 

570.  That  by  the  "sons  of  God"  are   signified    doctrinal 
things  of  faith,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "sons" 
(concerning  which  just  above,  and  also  in  the  preceding  chap- 
ter, verse  4,  where  "  sons"  signify  the  truths  of  the  church). 
The  truths  of  the  church  are  doctrinal  things,  which  regarded 
in  themselves  were  truths  because  those  here  treated  of  had 
them  by  tradition  from  the  most  ancient  people,  and  therefore 
they  are  called  the  "  sons  of  God  ;"  they  are  so  called  also  rela- 
tively, because  cupidities  are  called  the  "  daughters  of  man." 
The  quality  of  the  members  of  this  church  is  here  described, 
namely,  that  they  immersed  the  truths  of  the  church,  which 
were  holy,  in  their  cupidities,  and  thereby  defiled  them ;  and 
in  this  way  they  confirmed  the  principles  of  which  they  were 
so  strongly  persuaded.     How  this  occurred  may  be  easily  con- 
ceived by  any  one,  from  observing  what  passes  in  himself  and 
others  :    those  who  persuade  themselves  in  regard  to  any  sub- 
ject, confirm   themselves  in  such    persuasion   by  everything 
which  they  imagine  to  be  true,  even  by  what  they  find  con- 
tained in  the  Word  of  the  Lord ;  for  while  they  cling  to  prin- 
ciples which  they  have  received,  and  have  become  persuaded 
of,  they  make  everything  favor  and  assent  to  them.     And  the 
more  any  one  is  under  the  influence  of  self-love,  the  more 
firmly  he  holds  them.     Such  was  this  race,  concerning  whom 
of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter,  when  we  come  to  treat 
of  their  direful  persuasions,  which  strange  to  say  are  such  that 
they  are  never  allowed  to  flow  in  by  reasonings,  but  only  from 
cupidities,  for  otherwise  they  would  kill  everything  rational  in 
the  spirits  present.     Hence  it  appears  what  is  signified  by  the 
"  sons  of  God  seeing  the  daughters   of  man  that  they  were 
good,  and  taking  to  themselves  wives  of  all  that  they  chose," 
namely,  that  they  conjoined  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith  with 
their  cupidities,  in  fact  with  any  cupidities. 

571.  When  a  man  is  of  such  a  character  that  he  immerses 
the  truths  of  faith  in  his  insane  cupidities,  he  then  profanes 
the  truths,  and  deprives  himself  of  remains,  which  although 
they  remain  cannot  be  brought  forth,  for  as  soon  as  they  are 
brought  forth  they  are  again  profaned  by  things  that  are  pro- 
fane    for  profanations  of  the  Word  produce  as  it  were  a  cal- 
losity, which  causes  an  obstruction,  and  absorbs  the  goods  and 


244  GENESIS  [N.  571 

truths  of  remains.  Therefore  let  man  beware  of  the  profana- 
tion of  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  which  contains  the  eternal  truths 
wherein  is  life,  although  one  who  is  in  false  principles  does 
not  believe  that  they  are  truths. 

572.  Verse  3.  And  Jehovah  said,  My  spirit  shall  not  reprove 
man  forever,  for  that  he  is  flesh  ;  and  his  days  shall  be  a  hun- 
dred and  twenty  years.    By  "  Jehovah's  saying  My  spirit  shall 
not  always  reprove  man,"  is  signified  that  man  would  not  be 
so  led  any  longer ;  "  for  that  he  is  flesh,"  signifies  because  he 
had  become  corporeal ;  "  and  his  days  shall  be  a  hundred  and 
twenty  years,"  signifies  that  he  ought  to  have  remains  of  faith. 
It  is  also  a  prediction  concerning  a  future  church. 

573.  That  by  Jehovah's  saying  My  spirit  shall  not  forever 
reprove  man  is  signified  that  man  would  not  be  so  led  any 
longer,  is  evident  from  what  has  gone  before  and  from  what 
follows ;  from  what  has  gone  before  in  that  men  had  become 
such,  through  the  immersion  of  the  doctrinal  things  or  truths 
of  faith  in  cupidities,  that  they  could  no  longer  be  reproved, 
that  is,  know  what  evil  is ;  all  capacity  to  perceive  truth  and 
good  having  been  extinguished  through  their  persuasions,  so 
that  they  believed  that  only  to  be  true  that  was  in  conformity 
with  their  persuasions ;  and  in  regard  to  what  follows,  that 
after  the  flood  the  man  of  the  church  became  different,  in  that 
with  him  conscience  succeeded  in  place  of  perception,  through 
which  he  could  be  reproved.     "  Reproof  by  the  spirit  of  Jeho- 
vah" therefore  signifies  an  inward  dictate,  a  perception,  or  a 
conscience ;  and  the  "  spirit  of  Jehovah"  signifies  the  influx  of 
what  is  true  and  good ;  as  also  in  Isaiah : — 

I  will  not  contend  to  eternity,  neither  will  I  be  forever  wroth,  for  the 
spirit  would  overwhelm  before  me,  and  the  souls  I  have  made  (Ivii.  16). 

574.  That  "  flesh"  signifies  that  man  had  become  corporeal, 
appears  from  the  signification  of  "  flesh"  in  the  Word,  where 
it  is  used  to  signify  both  every  man  in  general,  and  also,  specifi- 
cally, the  corporeal  man.     It  is  used  to  signify  every  man,  in 
Joel : — 

I  will  pour  out  My  spirit  upon  all  flesh,  and  your  sons  and  your 
daughters  shall  prophesy  (ii.  28), 


N.  574]  CHAPTER  VI.  VER.  3  245 

where  "  flesh"  signifies  man,  and  "  spirit"  the  influx  of  truth 
and  good  from  the  Lord.  In  David : — 

Thou  that  hearest  prayers,  unto  Thee  shall  all  flesh  come  (Ps.  Ixv.  2), 

where  "  flesh'*'  denotes  every  man.     In  Jeremiah : — 

Cursed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  man,  and  maketh  flesh  his  arm 
(xvii.  5), 

where  "  flesh"  signifies  man,  and  "  arm"  power.    In  Ezekiel : — 

That  all  flesh  may  know  (xxi.  4,  5). 
In  Zechariah : — 

Be  silent,  all  flesh,  before  Jehovah  (ii.  13), 

where  "  flesh"  denotes  every  man.  [2]  That  it  signifies  spe- 
cifically the  corporeal  man,  is  evident  from  Isaiah : — 

The  Egyptian  is  man  and  not  God,  and  his  horses  are  flesh  and  not 
spirit  (xxxi.  3), 

signifying  that  their  memory -knowledge  (scientificum)  is  cor- 
poreal ;  "  horses"  here  and  elsewhere  in  the  Word  denoting  the 
rational.  Again : — 

He  shall  withdraw  to  the  right  hand,  and  shall  be  hungry  ;  and  he 
shall  devour  on  the  left  hand,  and  they  shall  not  be  satisfied  ;  they  shall 
eat  every  one  the  flesh  of  his  own  arm  (ix.  20), 

signifying  such  things  as  are  man's  own,  which  are  all  cor- 
poreal. In  the  same  : — 

He  shall  consume  from  the  soul,  and  even  the  flesh  (x.  18), 
where  "  flesh"  signifies  corporeal  things.     Again  : — 

The  glory  of  Jehovah  shall  be  revealed,  and  all  flesh  shall  see  it 
together  ;  the  voice  said,  Cry  ;  and  he  said,  What  shall  I  cry  ?  All  flesh 
is  grass  (xl.  5,  6), 

"  flesh"  here  signifies  every  man  who  is  corporeal.  [3]  In  the 
same : — 

In  fire  will  Jehovah  dispute,  and  with  His  sword  with  all  flesh,  and 
the  slain  of  Jehovah  shall  be  multiplied  (Ixvi.  16), 

where  "  fire"  signifies  the  punishment  of  cupidities ;  the 
"  sword,"  the  punishment  of  falsities ;  and  "  flesh"  the  cor- 
poreal things  of  man.  In  David  : — 

God  remembered  that  they  were  flesh,  a  breath  that  passeth  away,  and 
cometh  not  again  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  39), 


246  GENESIS  [N.  574 

speaking  of  the  people  in  the  wilderness  desiring  flesh,  because 
they  were  corporeal ;  their  desiring  flesh  represented  that  they 
desired  only  things  corporeal  (Num.  xi.  32,  33,  34). 

575.  That  by  the  days  of  man  being  a  hundred  and  twenty 
years  is  signified  that  he  ought  to  have  remains  of  faith, 
appears  from  what  has  been  said  in  the  foregoing  chapter 
(verses  3  and  4),  concerning  "  days"  and  "  years"  signifying 
times  and  states ;  and  also  from  the  circumstance  of  the  most 
ancient  people  from  numbers  variously  compounded  signifying 
states  and  changes  of  states  in  the  church ;  but  the  nature 
of  their  ecclesiastical  computation  is  now  totally  lost.  Here 
in  like  manner  numbers  of  years  are  mentioned,  whose  sig- 
nification it  is  impossible  for  any  one  to  understand,  unless 
he  be  first  acquainted  with  the  hidden  meaning  of  each  par- 
ticular number  from  "  one"  to  "  twelve,"  and  so  on.  It  plainly 
appears  that  they  contain  within  them  something  else  that  is 
secret,  for  that  men  were  to  live  a  "hundred  and  twenty 
years"  has  no  connection  with  the  preceding  part  of  the 
verse,  nor  did  they  live  one  hundred  and  twenty  years,  as  is 
evident  from  the  people  after  the  flood  (chapter  xi.),  where  it 
is  said  of  Shem  that  "  he  lived  after  he  begat  Arphaxad  five 
hundred  years ;"  and  that  Arphaxad  lived  after  he  begat  Se- 
lah  "  four  hundred  and  three  years ;"  and  that  Selah  lived 
after  he  begat  Eber  "  four  hundred  and  three  years ;"  and 
that  Eber  lived  after  he  begat  Peleg  "  four  hundred  and  thirty 
years ;"  and  that  Noah  lived  after  the  flood  "  three  hundred 
and  fifty  years"  (chapter  ix.  28),  and  so  on.  But  what  is  in- 
volved in  the  number  "  one  hundred  and  twenty,"  appears  only 
from  the  meaning  of  "  ten"  and  "  twelve,"  which  being  multi- 
plied together  make  one  hundred  and  twenty,  and  from  the 
signification  of  these  component  numbers  it  may  be  seen  that 
"one  hundred  and  twenty"  signifies  the  remains  of  faith. 
The  number  "  ten"  in  the  Word,  as  also  "  tenths,"  signify  and 
represent  remains,  which  are  preserved  by  the  Lord  in  the 
internal  man,  and  which  are  holy,  because  they  are  of  the 
Lord  alone;  and  the  number  "twelve"  signifies  faith,  or  all 
things  relating  to  faith  in  one  complex ;  the  number  there- 
fore that  is  compounded  of  these,  signifies  the  remains  of 
faith. 


N.  676]  CHAPTER  VI.  VER.  3  247 

576.  That  the  number  "ten,"  and  also  "tenths,"  signify 
remains,  is  evident  from  the  following  passages  of  the  Word : — 

Many  houses  shall  be  a  desolation,  great  and  fair,  without  an  in- 
habitant ;  for  ten  acres  of  vineyard  shall  yield  one  bath,  and  the  seed 
of  a  homer  shall  yield  an  ephah  (Isa.  v.  9,  10), 

speaking  of  the  vastation  of  things  spiritual  and  celestial : 
"  ten  acres  of  vineyard  making  a  bath,"  signifies  that  the  re- 
mains of  things  spiritual  were  so  few;  and  "the  seed  of  a 
homer  yielding  an  ephah,"  signifies  that  there  were  so  few  re- 
mains of  things  celestial.  In  the  same  : — 

And  many  things  are  forsaken  in  the  midst  of  the  land,  yet  in  it  shall 
be  a  tenth  part,  and  it  shall  return,  and  nevertheless  it  shall  be  consumed 
(vi.  12,  13)  ; 

where  the  "midst  of  the  land"  signifies  the  internal  man; 
a  "tenth  part"  signifies  the  smallness  of  the  remains.  In 
Ezekiel : — 

Ye  shall  have  balances  of  justice,  and  an  ephah  of  justice,  and  a  bath 
of  justice :  the  ephah  and  the  bath  shall  be  of  one  measure,  the  bath  to 
contain  the  tenth  of  a  homer,  and  an  ephah  the  tenth  of  a  homer ;  the 
measure  thereof  shall  be  after  the  homer  ;  and  the  ordinance  of  oil,  a 
bath  of  oil,  the  tenth  of  a  bath  out  of  a  kor,  ten  baths  to  the  homer,  for 
ten  baths  are  a  homer  (xlv.  10,  11,  14)  ; 

in  this  passage  the  holy  things  of  Jehovah  are  treated  of  by 
measures,  whereby  are  signified  the  kinds  of  the  holy  things ; 
by  "  ten"  are  here  signified  the  remains  of  celestial  and  of  the 
derivative  spiritual  things ;  for  unless  such  holy  arcana  were 
contained  herein,  what  could  be  the  use  or  intent  of  describing 
so  many  measures  determined  by  numbers,  as  is  done  in  this 
and  the  former  chapters  in  the  same  Prophet,  where  the  sub- 
ject is  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  and  the  New  Temple  ?  [2] 
In  Amos : — 

The  virgin  Israel  is  fallen,  she  shall  no  more  rise.  Thus  saith  the 
Lord  Jehovih,  The  city  that  went  out  a  thousand  shall  have  a  hundred 
remaining,  and  that  which  went  out  a  hundred,  shall  have  ten  remaining 
to  the  house  of  Israel  (v.  2,  3), 

where,  speaking  of  remains  it  is  said  that  very  little  would  be 
left,  being  only  a  "tenth  part,"  or  remains  of  remains. 
Again; — 


248  GENESIS  [N.  576 

I  abhor  the  pride  of  Jacob  and  his  palaces,  and  will  shut  up  the  city, 
and  its  fullness,  and  it  shall  come  to  pass  if  there  shall  be  left  ten  men 
in  one  house  they  shall  even  die  (vi.  8,  9), 

speaking  of  remains  which  should  scarcely  remain.  In  Moses : — 

An  Ammonite  or  Moabite  shall  not  come  into  the  congregation  of 
Jehovah,  even  the  tenth  generation  of  them  shall  not  come  into  the  con- 
gregation of  Jehovah  to  eternity  (Deut.  xxiii.  3)  ; 

"  an  Ammonite  and  a  Moabite,"  signify  the  profanation  of  the 
celestial  and  spiritual  things  of  faith,  the  "  remains"  of  which 
are  spoken  of  in  what  precedes.  [3]  Hence  it  appears  also 
that  "  tenths"  represent  remains.  And  so  in  Malachi  : — 

Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  [tenths]  into  the  treasure-house,  that  there  may 
be  booty  in  My  house,  and  let  them  prove  Me,  bestir  ye  in  this,  if  I  will 
not  open  for  you  the  cataracts  of  heaven,  and  pour  you  out  a  blessing 
(iii.  10)  ; 

"  that  there  may  be  booty  in  My  house,"  signifies  remains  in 
the  internal  man,  which  are  compared  to  "  booty,"  because  they 
are  insinuated  as  by  stealth  among  so  many  evils  and  falsities ; 
and  it  is  by  these  remains  that  all  blessing  comes.  That  all 
man's  charity  comes  by  the  remains  which  are  in  the  internal 
man,  was  also  represented  in  the  Jewish  Church  by  this 
statute  :  that  when  they  had  made  an  end  of  tithing  all  the 
tithes,  they  should  give  to  the  Levite,  to  the  stranger,  to  the 
fatherless,  and  to  the  widow  (Deut.  xxvi.  12,  seq.}.  [4]  Inas- 
much as  remains  are  of  the  Lord  alone,  therefore  the  tenths 
are  called  "  holiness  to  Jehovah  ;"  as  in  Moses : — 

All  the  tenths  of  the  land,  of  the  seed  of  the  land,  of  the  fruit  of  the 
tree,  they  are  Jehovah's,  holiness  to  Jehovah :  all  the  tenths  of  the  herd 
and  of  the  flock,  whatsoever  passeth  under  the  (pastoral)  rod,  the  tenth 
shall  be  holiness  to  Jehovah  (Lev.  xxvii.  30,  31). 

That  the  Decalogue  consisted  of  "  ten"  precepts,  or  "  ten" 
words,  and  that  Jehovah  wrote  them  on  tables  (Deut.  x.  4), 
signifies  remains,  and  their  being  written  by  the  hand  of  Je- 
hovah signifies  that  remains  are  of  the  Lord  alone ;  their 
being  in  the  internal  man  was  represented  by  the  tables. 

577.  That  the  number  "  twelve"  signifies  faith,  or  the  things 
of  love  and  the  derivative  faith  in  one  complex,  might  also  be 
confirmed  by  many  passages  from  the  Word,  as  from  the 
"  twelve"  sons  of  Jacob  and  their  names,  the  "  twelve"  tribes 


N.  677]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  3  249 

of  Israel,  and  the  Lord's  "  twelve"  apostles ;  but  concerning 
these  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter,  especially  in  Gene- 
sis xxix.  and  xxx. 

578.  From  these  numbers  alone  it  is  evident  what  the  Word 
of  the  Lord  contains  in  its  bosom  and  interior  recesses,  and 
how  many  arcana  are  concealed  therein  which  do  not  at  all 
appear  to  the  naked  eye.     And  so  it  is  everywhere :  there  are 
like  things  in  every  word. 

579.  That  with  the  antediluvians  here  treated  of  there  were 
few  and  almost  no  remains,  will  be  manifest  from  what,  of 
the  Lord's  Divine  mercy,  will  be  said  of  them  hereafter ;  and 
as  no  remains  could  be  preserved  among  them,  it  is  here  fore- 
told of  the  new  church  called  "  Noah"  that  it  should  have  re- 
mains ;    concerning  which  also,  of  the  Lord's   Divine  mercy 
hereafter. 

580.  Verse  4.   There  were  Nephllim  in  the  earth  in  those 
days  ;  and  especially  after  the  sons  of  God  went  in  unto  the 
daughters  of  man,  and  they  bare  to  them,  the  same  became 
mighty  men,  who  were  of  old,  men  of  renoivn.    By  "  Nephilim" 
are  signified  those  who  through  a  persuasion  of  their  own  lofti- 
ness and  pre-eminence  made  light  of  all  things  holy  and  true ; 
"  and  especially  after  the  sons  of  God  went  in  unto  the  daugh- 
ters of  man,  and  they  bare  to  them,"  signifies  that  this  occurred 
when  they  immersed  the  doctrinals  of  faith  in  their  cupidities, 
and   formed   persuasions  of   what   is    false ;   they  are  called 
"  mighty  men"  from  their  love  of  self ;    "  of  old,  men  of  re- 
nown," signifies  that  there  had  been  such  before. 

581 .  That  by  the  "  Nephilim"  are  signified  those  who  through 
a  persuasion  of  their  own  loftiness  and  pre-eminence  made 
light  of  all  things  holy  and  true,  appears  from  what  precedes 
and  what  follows,  namely,  that  they  immersed  the  doctrinals 
of  faith  in  their  cupidities,  signified   by  the  "  sons  of   God 
going  in  unto  the  daughters  of  man,  and  their  bearing  unto 
them."     Persuasion  concerning   self   and   its    phantasies    in- 
creases also  according  to  the  multitude  of  things  that  enter 
into  it,  till  at  length  it  becomes  indelible ;  and  when  the  doc- 
trinals of  faith  are  added  thereto,  then  from  principles  of  the 
strongest  persuasion  they  make  light  of  all  things  holy  and 
true,  and  become  "  Nephilim."     That  race,  which  lived  before 


250  GENESIS  [N.  581 

the  flood,  is  such  that  they  so  kill  and  suffocate  all  spirits  by 
their  most  direful  phantasies  (which  are  poured  forth  by  them 
as  a  poisonous  and  suffocating  sphere)  that  the  spirits  are  en- 
tirely deprived  of  the  power  of  thinking,  and  feel  half  dead ; 
and  unless  the  Lord  by  His  coming  into  the  world  had  freed 
the  world  of  spirits  from  that  poisonous  race,  no  one  could 
have  existed  there,  and  consequently  the  human  race,  who  are 
ruled  by  the  Lord  through  spirits,  would  have  perished.  They 
are  therefore  now  kept  in  a  hell  under  as  it  were  a  misty  and 
dense  rock,  under  the  heel  of  the  left  foot,  nor  do  they  make 
the  slightest  attempt  to  rise  out  of  it.  Thus  is  the  world  of 
spirits  free  from  this  most  dangerous  crew,  concerning  which 
and  its  most  poisonous  sphere  of  persuasions,  of  the  Lord's 
Divine  mercy  hereafter.  These  are  they  who  are  called 
"  Nephilim,"  and  who  make  light  of  all  things  holy  and  true. 
Further  mention  is  made  of  them  in  the  Word,  but  their  de- 
scendants were  called  "  Anakim"  and  "  Rephaim."  That  they 
were  called  "  Anakim"  is  evident  from  Moses  : — 

There  we  saw  the  Nephilim,  the  sons  of  Anak,  of  the  Nephilim,  and 
we  were  in  our  own  eyes  as  grasshoppers,  and  so  we  were  in  their  eyes 
(Num.  xiii.  33). 

That  they  were  called  "  Eephaim"  appears  also  from  Moses : — 

The  Emim  dwelt  before  in  the  land  of  Moab,  a  people  great,  and  many, 
and  tall,  as  the  Anakim,  who  also  were  accounted  Rephaim,  as  the  Ana- 
kim, and  the  Moabites  call  them  Emim  (Deut.  ii.  10,  11). 

The  Nephilim  are  not  mentioned  any  more,  but  the  Rephaim 
are,  who  are  described  by  the  prophets  to  be  such  as  are  above 
stated ;  as  in  Isaiah  : — 

Hell  low  down  has  been  in  commotion  for  thee,  to  meet  thee  in  com- 
ing, it  hath  stirred  up  the  Rephaim  for  thee  (xiv.  9), 

speaking  of  the  hell  which  is  the  abode  of  such  spirits.  In 
the  same : — 

Thy  dead  shall  not  live,  the  Rephaim  shall  not  arise,  because  thou 
hast  visited  and  destroyed  them,  and  made  all  their  memory  to  perish 
(xxvi.  14), 

where  also  their  hell  is  referred  to,  from  which  they  shall  no 
more  rise  again.  In  the  same  : — 


N.  581]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  4  251 

Thy  dead  shall  live,  my  corpse,  they  shall  rise  again  ;  awake  and  sing, 
ye  that  dwell  in  the  dust,  for  the  dew  of  herbs  is  thy  dew  ;  but  thou  shalt 
cast  out  the  land  of  the  Rephaim  (xxvi.  19)  ; 

"  the  land  of  the  Rephaim"  is  the  hell  above  spoken  of.  In 
David : — 

Wilt  Thou  show  a  wonder  to  the  dead  ?  Shall  the  Rephaim  arise, 
shall  they  confess  to  Thee  ?  (Ps.  Ixxiviii.  10), 

speaking  in  like  manner  concerning  the  hell  of  the  Rephaim, 
and  that  they  cannot  rise  up  and  infest  the  sphere  of  the 
world  of  spirits  with  the  very  direful  poison  of  their  persua- 
sions. But  it  has  been  provided  by  the  Lord  that  mankind 
should  no  longer  become  imbued  with  such  dreadful  phantasies 
and  persuasions.  Those  who  lived  before  the  flood  were  of 
such  a  nature  and  genius  that  they  could  be  imbued,  for  a 
reason  as  yet  unknown,  concerning  which,  of  the  Lord's 
Divine  mercy  hereafter. 

582.  -After  that  the  sons  of  God  came  in  unto  the  daughters 
of  men,  and  they  bare  to  them.     That  this   signifies  that  they 
became  Nephilim  when  they  had  immersed  the  doctrinals  of 
faith  in  their  cupidities,  is  evident  from  what  was  said  and 
shown  above  in  verse  2,  namely,  that  the  "  sons  of  God"  sig- 
nify the  doctrinal  things  of  faith,  and  that  "  daughters"  signify 
cupidities.     The  birth  thereby  produced   must   needs    make 
light  of  and  profane  the  holy  things  of  faith,  for  the  cupidi- 
ties of  man,  being  those  of  the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world, 
are  altogether  contrary  to  what  is  holy  and  true.    Now  in  man 
cupidities  prevail,  so  that  when  what  is  holy  and  true,  and  is 
acknowledged  to  be  such,  is  immersed  in  cupidities,  it  is  all 
over  with  the  man,  for  the  cupidities  cannot  be  rooted  out  and 
separated ;  they  cling  to  every  idea,  and  in  the  other  life  it  is 
ideas  that  are  communicated  from  one  to  another,  so  that  as 
soon  as  any  idea  of  what  is  holy  and  true  is  brought  forth, 
what  is  profane  and  false  is  joined  to  it,  which  is  instantly 
perceived.     Therefore  such  persons  have  to  be  separated  and 
thrust  down  into  hell. 

583.  That  the  Xephilim  are  called  "mighty  men"  from  the 
love  of  self,  is  evident  from  various  passages  of  the  Word, 
where  such  are  called  "  mighty  ;"  as  in  Jeremiah  : — 


252  GENESIS  [N.  583 

The  mighty  ones  of  Babel  have  ceased  to  fight,  they  sit  in  their  holds, 
their  might  faileth,  they  are  become  as  women  (li.  30), 

where  the  "  mighty  ones  of  Babel"  denote  those  who  are  eaten 
up  with  the  love  of  self.  In  the  same : — 

A  sword  is  against  the  liars,  and  they  shall  be  insane,  a  sword  is 
against  her  mighty  ones,  and  they  shall  be  dismayed  (1.  36). 

Again : — 

I  saw  them  dismayed,  and  turning  away  back,  their  mighty  ones  were 
broken  in  pieces,  and  have  been  put  to  flight,  and  looked  not  back,  fear 
was  round  about,  the  swift  shall  not  flee  away,  nor  the  mighty  one  es- 
cape ;  come  up,  ye  horses,  and  rage,  ye  chariots,  and  let  the  mighty  ones 
go  forth,  Cush,  Put,  the  Lydians  (xlvi.  5,  6,  9), 

speaking  of  persuasion  from  reasonings.     Again  : — 

How  say  ye,  We  are  mighty,  and  men  of  strength  for  war  ?  Moab  is 
laid  waste  (xlviii.  14,  15). 

Again : — 

The  city  is  taken,  and  the  strongholds,  it  has  been  seized,  and  the 
heart  of  the  mighty  men  of  Moab  in  that  day  is  become  as  the  heart  of 
a  woman  in  her  pangs  (xlviii.  41). 

In  like  manner  it  is  said  : — 

The  heart  of  the  mighty  ones  of  Edom  (xlix.  22). 
A-gain  : — 

Jehovah  hath  redeemed  Jacob,  and  hath  avenged  him  from  the  hand 
of  him  that  was  mightier  than  he  (xxxi.  11), 

where  "mighty"  is  expressed  by  another  term.  That  the 
Anakim,  who  were  of  the  Nephilim,  were  called  "mighty 
ones,"  is  evident  from  Moses  : — 

Thou  passest  over  Jordan  to-day,  to  go  in  to  possess  nations  greater 
and  more  numerous  than  thyself,  cities  great  and  fortified  to  heaven,  a 
people  great  and  tall,  the  sons  of  the  Anakim,  whom  thou  knowest,  and 
of  whom  thou  hast  heard  ;  who  shall  stand  before  the  sons  of  Anak  ? 
(Deut.  ix.  1,  2). 

584.  Verse  5.  And  Jehovah  saw  that  the  evil  of  man  was 
multiplied  in  the  earth,  and  that  all  the  imagination  of  the 
thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only  evil  every  day.  "  Jehovah  saw 
that  the  evil  of  man  was  multiplied  on  the  earth,"  signifies 
that  there  began  to  be  no  will  of  good  ;  "  all  the  imagination 


N.  584]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  6  253 

of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only  evil  every  day,"  signi- 
fies that  there  was  no  perception  of  truth  and  good. 

585.  That  by  the  evil  of  man  being  multiplied  in  the  earth 
is  signified  that  there  began  to  be  no  will  of  good,  is  evident 
from  what  was  said  above,  namely,  that  there  was  no  longer 
any  will,  but  only  cupidity;    and  from  the    signification  of 
"  man  in  the  earth."    In  the  literal  sense  the  "  earth"  is  where 
man  is.     In  the  internal  sense  it  is  where  the  love  is,  and  as 
love  is  of  the  will,  or  of  the  cupidity,  the  earth  is  taken  to 
mean  the  will  itself  of  man.     For  man  is  man  from  willing, 
and  not  so  much  from  knowing  and  understanding,  because 
these  flow  out  from  his  will ;  whatever  does  not  flow  out  from 
his  will  he  is  willing  neither  to  know  nor  understand ;  nay, 
even  when  he  is  speaking  or  doing  something  that  he  does  not 
will,  still  there  is  something  of  the  will  remote  from  the  speech 
or  action  that  governs  him.     That  the  "  land  of  Canaan,"  or 
the  "holy  land,"  denotes  love,  and  consequently  the  will  of 
the  celestial  man,  might  be  confirmed  by  many  passages  from 
the  Word ;  in  like  manner,  that  the  lands  of  various  nations 
denote  their  loves,  which  in  general  are  the  love  of  self  and 
the  love  of  the  world ;  but  as  this  subject  so  often  recurs,  it 
need  not  be  dwelt  upon  here.     Hence  it  appears  that  by  "  the 
evil  of  man  on  the  earth"  is  signified  his  natural  evil,  which 
is  of  the  will,  and  which  is  said  to  be  "  multiplied"  because  it 
was  not  so  depraved  in  all  but  that  they  wished  good  for  others, 
yet  for  the  sake  of  themselves  ;  but  that  the  perversion  became 
complete,  is  signified  by  the  "  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of 
the  heart." 

586.  The  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  the  heart  was  only 
evil  every  day,  signifies  that  there  was  no  perception  of  truth 
and  good,  for  the  reason,  as  before  said  and  shown,  that  they 
immersed  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith  in  their  filthy  cupidi- 
ties, and  when  this  occurred  all  perception  was  lost,  and  in 
place  thereof  a  dreadful  persuasion  succeeded,  that  is,  a  most 
deep-rooted  and  deadly  phantasy,  which  was  the  cause  of  their 
extinction   and  suffocation.     This  deadly  persuasion  is  here 
signified  by  "  the  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of  the  heart ;" 
but   by  "  the   imagination  of  the  heart,"  without  the  word 
"  thoughts,"  is  signified  the  evil  of  the  love  of  self,  or  of 


254  GENESIS  [N.  586 

cupidities,  as  in  the  following  chapter,  where  Jehovah  said, 
after  Noah  had  offered  a  burnt-offering  :  "  I  will  not  again 
curse  the  ground  for  man's  sake,  because  the  imagination  of 
the  heart  of  man  is  evil  from  his  childhood"  (viii.  21).  An 
"  imagination"  is  that  which  man  invents  for  himself,  and  of 
which  he  persuades  himself ;  as  in  Habakkuk  : — 

What  profiteth  a  graven  image,  that  the  fashioner  thereof  hath  graven 
it  ?  the  molten  image  and  teacher  of  lies,  that  the  fashioner  trusteth  to 
his  imagination,  to  make  dumb  idols  (ii.  18)  ; 

a  "  graven  image"  signifies  false  persuasions  originating  in 
principles  conceived  and  hatched  out  by  one's  self ;  the 
"  fashioner"  is  one  who  is  thus  self -persuaded,  of  whom  this 
"  imagination"  is  predicated.  In  Isaiah  : — 

Your  overturn  :  shall  the  potter  be  reputed  as  the  clay,  that  the  work 
should  say  to  him  that  made  it,  He  made  me  not ;  and  the  thing  fashioned 
say  to  him  that  fashioned  it,  He  had  no  understanding  ?  (xxix.  16)  ; 

the  "thing  fashioned"  here  signifies  thought  originating  in 
man's  Own,  and  the  persuasion  of  what  is  false  thence  derived. 
A  "thing  fashioned"  or  "imagined,"  in  general,  is  what  a 
man  invents  from  the  heart  or  will,  and  also  what  he  invents 
from  the  thought  or  persuasion,  as  in  David : — 

Jehovah  knoweth  our  fashioning  (figmentum),  He  remembereth  that 
we  are  dust  (Ps.  ciii.  14). 

In  Moses: — 

I  know  his  imagination  that  he  doeth  this  day,  before  I  bring  him  into 
the  land  (Deut.  xxxi.  21). 

586a.  Verse  6.  And  it  repented  Jehovah  that  He  made  man 
on  the  earth,  and  it  grieved  Him  at  His  heart.  That  He  "  re- 
pented," signifies  mercy ;  that  He  "  grieved  at  the  heart,"  has 
a  like  signification  ;  to  "  repent"  has  reference  to  wisdom  ;  to 
"  grieve  at  the  heart"  to  love. 

587.  That  it  repented  Jehovah  that  He  made  man  on  the 
earth  signifies  mercy,  and  that  "  He  grieved  at  the  heart"  has 
a  like  signification,  is  evident  from  this,  that  Jehovah  never 
repents,  because  He  foresees  all  things  from  eternity  both 
in  general  and  in  particular  ;  and  when  He  made  man,  that  is, 
created  him  anew,  and  perfected  him  till  he  became  celestial, 
He  also  foresaw  that  in  process  of  time  he  would  become  such 


N.  587]  CHAPTER    VI.  VER.  6  255 

as  is  here  described,  and  because  He  foresaw  this  He  could  not 
repent.  This  appears  plainly  from  what  Samuel  said : — 

The  invincible  One  of  Israel  doth  not  lie,  nor  repent,  for  He  is  not  a 
man  that  He  should  repent  (1  Sam.  xv.  29). 

And  in  Moses  : — 

God  is  not  a  man  that  He  should  lie,  or  the  son  of  man  that  He  should 
repent ;  hath  He  said,  and  shall  He  not  do  ?  or  hath  He  spoken,  and 
shall  He  not  make  it  good  '?  (Num.  xxiii.  19). 

But  to  "  repent"  signifies  to  be  merciful.  The  mercy  of  Jeho- 
vah, or  of  the  Lord,  includes  everything  that  is  done  by  the 
Lord  toward  mankind,  who  are  in  such  a  state  that  the  Lord 
pities  them,  each  one  according  to  his  state ;  thus  He  pities  the 
state  of  him  whom  He  permits  to  be  punished,  and  pities  him 
also  to  whom  He  grants  the  enjoyment  of  good  ;  it  is  of  mercy 
to  be  punished,  because  mercy  turns  all  the  evil  of  punishment 
into  good ;  and  it  is  of  mercy  to  grant  the  enjoyment  of  good, 
because  no  one  merits  anything  that  is  good  ;  for  all  mankind 
are  evil,  and  of  himself  every  one  would  rush  into  hell,  where- 
fore it  is  of  mercy  that  he  is  delivered  thence  ;  nor  is  it  any- 
thing but  mercy,  inasmuch  as  He  has  need  of  no  man.  Mercy 
has  its  name  from  the  fact  that  it  delivers  man  from  miseries* 
and  from  hell ;  thus  it  is  called  mercy  in  respect  to  mankind, 
because  they  are  in  such  a  state  of  misery,  and  it  is  the  effect 
of  love  toward  them  all,  because  all  are  so. 

588.  But  it  is  predicated  of  the  Lord  that  He  "  repents,"  and 
"  is  grieved  at  heart,"  because  there  appears  to  be  such  a  feel- 
ing in  all  human  mercy,  so  that  what  is  said  here  of  the  Lord's 
"  repenting"  and  "  grieving,"  is  spoken  according  to  the  ap- 
pearance, as  in  many  other  passages  in  the  Word.  What  the 
mercy  of  the  Lord  is  none  can  know,  because  it  infinitely 
transcends  the  understanding  of  man  ;  but  what  the  mercy  of 
man  is  we  all  know  to  be  to  repent  and  grieve  ;  and  unless  a 
man  were  to  form  his  idea  of  mercy  according  to  his  own  ap- 
prehension, he  could  not  have  any  conception  of  it,  and  thus 
he  could  not  be  instructed ;  and  this  is  the  reason  why  human 
properties  are  often  predicated  of  the  attributes  of  Jehovah  or 
the  Lord,  as  that  Jehovah  or  the  Lord  punishes,  leads  into 

»  The  Latin  word  for  mercy — misericordia — by  its  very  construction  expresses 
the  idea  of  a  heart  that  feels  for  the  wretched.  [Rotch  ed.] 


256  GENESI&  [N.  588 

temptation,  destroys,  and  is  angry ;  when  yet  He  never  pun- 
ishes any  one,  never  leads  any  into  temptation,  never  destroys 
any,  and  is  never  angry.  But  as  even  such  things  as  these  are 
predicated  of  the  Lord,  it  follows  that  repentance  also  and 
grief  may  be  predicated  of  Him ;  for  the  predication  of  the 
one  follows  from  that  of  the  other,  as  plainly  appears  from  the 
following  passages  in  the  Word.  [2]  In  Ezekiel : — 

Mine  anger  shall  be  consummated,  I  will  make  my  wrath  to  rest,  and 
it  shall  repent  Me  (v.  13). 

Here,  because  "  anger"  and  "  wrath"  are  predicated,  "  repent- 
ance" is  predicated  also.  In  Zechariah  : — 

As  I  thought  to  do  evil  when  your  fathers  provoked  Me  to  anger,  saith 
Jehovah  Zebaoth,  and  it  repented  Me  not,  so  again  I  will  think  in  those 
days  to  do  good  unto  Jerusalem  and  to  the  house  of  Judah  (viii.  14,  15). 

Here  it  is  said  that  Jehovah  "  thought  to  do  evil,"  and  yet  He 
never  thinks  to  do  evil  to  any,  but  good  to  all  and  to  every 
one.  In  Moses,  when  he  prayed  forbearance  of  the  face  of 
Jehovah : — 

Turn  from  the  wrath  of  Thine  anger  and  repent  Thee  of  this  evil 
against  Thy  people  ;  and  Jehovah  repented  of  the  evil  which  He  said  He 
would  do  unto  His  people  (Exod.  xxxii.  12,  14). 

Here  also  the  "  wrath  of  anger"  is  attributed  to  Jehovah,  and 
consequently  "  repentance."  In  Jonah,  the  king  of  Nineveh 
said : — 

Who  knoweth  whether  God  will  not  turn  and  repent,  and  turn  from 
the  heat  of  His  anger,  that  we  perish  not  ?  (iii.  9). 

In  like  manner  here  "  repentance"  is  predicated  because 
"  anger"  is.  [3]  In  Hosea  : — 

My  heart  is  turned  within  me  ;  My  repentings  are  kindled  together  ;  I 
will  not  execute  the  wrath  of  Mine  anger  (xi.  8,  9) ; 

where  likewise  it  is  said  of  the  heart  that  "  repentings  were 
kindled,"  just  as  in  the  passage  we  are  considering  it  is  said 
that  He  "  grieved  at  heart "  "  Repentings"  plainly  denote 
great  mercy.  So  in  Joel : — 

Turn  unto  Jehovah  your  God  ;  for  He  is  gracious  and  compassionate, 
slow  to  anger  and  plenteous  in  mercy,  and  repenteth  of  the  evil  (ii.  13)  ; 

where  also  to  "  repent"  manifestly  denotes  mercy.  In  Jere- 
miah : — 


N.  588]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  6  257 

If  so  be  they  will  hearken,  and  turn  every  man  from  his  evil  way,  and 
it  repent  Me  of  the  evil  (xxvi.  3), 

signifying  to  have  mercy.     Again  : — 

If  that  nation  turn  from  their  evil,  it  shall  repent  Me  of  the  evil 
(xviii.  8)  ; 

where  also  to  "  repent"  denotes  to  have  mercy  provided  they 
would  turn.  For  it  is  man  who  turns  the  Lord's  mercy  away 
from  himself :  the  Lord  never  turns  it  away  from  man. 

589.  From  these  and  many  other  passages  it  is  evident  that 
the  Word  was  spoken  according  to  the  appearances  with  man. 
Whoever  therefore  desires  to  confirm  false  principles  by  the 
appearances  according  to  which  the  Word  was  spoken,  can  do 
so  by  passages  without  number.    But  it  is  one  thing  to  confirm 
false  principles  by  the  Word,  and  another  to  believe  in  sim- 
plicity what  is  in  the  Word.     He  who  confirms  false  princi- 
ples, first  assumes  a  principle  which  he  will  not  at  all  recede 
from,  nor  in  the  least  yield,  but  scrapes  together  and  accumu- 
lates confirmations  wherever  he  can,  thus  also  from  the  Word, 
until  he  so  strongly  persuades  himself  that  he  can  no  longer 
see   the   truth.     But   he  who   simply  or   with   simple   heart 
believes,  does  not   first  assume   principles,  but  thinks   that 
because  the  Lord  has  thus  said  it  is  true ;  and  if  instructed 
from  other  sayings  of  the  Word  how  it  is  to  be  understood,  he 
acquiesces  and  rejoices  in  his  heart.     Even  the  man  who  in 
simplicity  believes  that  the  Lord  is  angry,  punishes,  repents, 
and  grieves,  and  so  believing  is  afraid  of  evil  and  does  good, 
takes  no  harm ;  for  this  belief  causes  him  to  believe  also  that 
the  Lord  sees  everything;  and  being  in  such  a  belief  he  is 
afterwards  enlightened  in  other  matters  of  faith,  if  not  before, 
then  in  the  other  life.     Very  different  is  the  case  with  those 
who  in  agreement  with  a  foul  love  of  self  or  of  the  world  per- 
suade themselves  to  believe  certain  things  that  are  deduced 
from  the  principles  they  have  already  adopted. 

590.  That  "  repenting"  has  reference  to  wisdom,  and  "  griev- 
ing at  heart,"  to  love,  cannot  be  explained  to  human  apprehen. 
sion,  save  in  accordance  with  the  things  that  are  with  man, 
that  is,  by  means  of  appearances.     In  every  idea  of  thought 
in  man  there  is  something  from  the  understanding  and  from 

VOL.  I.— 17 


258  GENESIS  [N.  590 

the  will,  or  from  his  thought  and  his  love.  Whatever  idea 
does  not  derive  anything  from  his  will  or  love  is  not  an  idea, 
for  otherwise  than  from  his  will  he  cannot  think  at  all.  There 
is  a  kind  of  marriage,  perpetual  and  indissoluble,  between  the 
thought  and  the  will,  so  that  in  the  ideas  of  man's  thought 
there  inhere  or  adhere  the  things  that  are  of  his  will  or  his 
love.  From  this  state  of  things  in  man  it  may  as  it  were 
be  known,  or  rather  it  seems  possible  to  form  some  idea  of 
what  is  contained  in  the  Lord's  mercy,  namely,  wisdom  and 
love.  Thus  in  the  Prophets,  especially  in  Isaiah,  there  are 
almost  everywhere  double  expressions  concerning  everything ; 
one  involving  what  is  spiritual,  the  other  what  is  celestial. 
The  spiritual  of  the  Lord's  mercy  is  wisdom ;  the  celestial  is 
love. 

591.  Verse  7.  And  Jehovah  said,  I  will  destroy  man  whom 
I  have  created  from  upon  the  faces  of  the  ground  ;  both  man 
and  beast,  and  creeping  thing,  and  fowl  of  the  heavens  ;  for  it 
repenteth  Me  that  I  have  made  them.     "  Jehovah  said,  I  will 
destroy  man,"  signifies  that  man  would  extinguish  himself; 
"  whom  I  have  created,  from  upon  the  faces  of  the  ground," 
signifies  the  man  of  the  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church ; 
"  both  man  and  beast  and  creeping  thing,"  signifies  that  what- 
soever is  of  the  will  would  extinguish  him ;  "  and  fowl  of  the 
heavens,"  is  whatever  is  of  the  understanding  or  thought ;  "  for 
it  repenteth  Me  that  I  have  made  them,"  signifies  as  before, 
compassion. 

592.  Jehovah  said,  I  will  destroy  man.     That  this  signifies 
that  man  would  extinguish  himself,  is  evident  from  what  has 
been  explained  before,  namely,  that  it  is  predicated  of  Jehovah 
or  the  Lord  that  He  punishes,  that  He  tempts,  that  He  does 
evil,  that  He  destroys  or  kills,  and  that  He  curses.    As  for  ex- 
ample, that  He  slew  Er,  Judah's  firstborn ;  and  Onan,  another 
son  of  Judah  (Gen.  xxxviii.  7,  10);   that  Jehovah  smote  all 
the  firstborn  of  Egypt  (xii.  12,  29).     And  so  in  Jeremiah : — 

Whom  I  have  slain  in  Mine  anger  and  in  My  wrath  (xxxiii.  5). 

In  David : — 

He  cast  upon  them  the  wrath  of  His  anger  ;  vehement  anger,  and  fury 
and  straitness,  a  sending  of  evil  angels  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  49). 


N.  592]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.   7  259 

In  Amos : — 

Shall  evil  befall  a  city,  and  Jehovah  hath  not  done  it  ?  (iii.  6). 
In  John : — 

Seven  golden  vials  full  of  the  wrath  of  God  who  liveth  forever  and 
ever  (Rev.  xv.  1,  7  ;  xvi.  1). 

All  these  things  are  predicated  of  Jehovah,  although  entirely 
contrary  to  His  nature.  They  are  predicated  of  Him  for  the 
reason  explained  before ;  and  also  in  order  that  men  may  first 
form  the  very  general  idea  that  the  Lord  governs  and  disposes 
all  things  both  in  general  and  in  particular ;  and  may  afterwards 
learn  that  nothing  of  evil  is  from  the  Lord,  much  less  does  He 
kill ;  but  that  it  is  man  who  brings  evil  upon  himself,  and  ruins 
and  destroys  himself — although  it  is  not  man,  but  evil  spirits 
who  excite  and  lead  him ;  and  yet  it  is  man,  because  he  believes 
that  he  is  himself  the  doer.  So  now  here  it  is  said  of  Jehovah 
that  He  would  "  destroy  man,"  when  in  fact  it  was  man  who 
would  destroy  and  extinguish  himself.  [2]  The  state  of  the 
case  may  be  very  evident  from  those  in  the  other  life  who  are 
in  torment  and  in  hell,  and  who  are  continually  lamenting  and 
attributing  all  the  evil  of  punishment  to  the  Lord.  So  in  the 
world  of  evil  spirits  there  are  those  who  make  it  their  delight, 
even  their  greatest  delight,  to  hurt  and  punish  others ;  and 
those  who  are  hurt  and  punished  think  it  is  from  the  Lord. 
But  they  are  told,  and  it  is  shown  them,  that  not  the  least  of 
evil  is  from  the  Lord,  but  they  bring  it  upon  themselves ;  for 
such  is  the  state  and  such  the  equilibrium  of  all  things  in  the 
other  life  that  evil  returns  upon  him  who  does  evil,  and  be* 
comes  the  evil  of  punishment ;  and  for  the  same  reason  it  is 
inevitable.  This  is  said  to  be  permitted  for  the  sake  of  the 
amendment  of  the  evil.  But  still  the  Lord  turns  all  the  evil 
of  punishment  into  good ;  so  that  there  is  never  anything  but 
good  from  the  Lord.  But  hitherto  no  one  has  known  what 
permission  is ;  what  is  permitted  is  believed  to  be  done  by  Him 
who  permits,  because  He  permits.  But  the  fact  is  quite  other- 
wise, concerning  which,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 
593.  Whom  I  have  created,  from  upon  the  faces  of  the 
ground.  That  this  signifies  the  man  from  the  posterity  of  the 
Most  Ancient  Church,  is  evident  not  only  from  its  being  said, 


260  GENESIS  [N.  593 

the  man  whom  He  had  "  created,"  that  is,  whom  He  had  regen- 
erated ;  and  afterwards  whom  He  had  "  made,"  that  is,  had 
perfected,  or  regenerated  until  he  became  celestial ;  but  also 
from  its  being  said  "  from  upon  the  faces  of  the  ground."  The 
"ground"  is  where  the  church  is,  as  has  been  shown  before. 
The  same  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  those  are  treated  of  who 
immersed  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith  in  their  cupidities ;  and 
those  who  had  not  doctrinal  things  of  faith  could  not  do  so. 
They  who  are  outside  the  church  are  in  ignorance  of  truth  and 
good,  and  those  who  are  in  ignorance  may  be  in  a  kind  of  inno- 
cence while  speaking  and  acting  somewhat  contrary  to  the 
truths  and  goods  of  faith ;  for  they  may  act  from  a  certain 
zeal  for  the  worship  with  which  they  have  been  imbued  from 
infancy,  and  which  they  therefore  believe  to  be  true  and  good. 
But  the  case  is  entirely  different  with  those  who  have  the  doc- 
trine of  faith  among  them.  These  can  mingle  truths  with  falsi- 
ties, and  holy  things  with  profane.  Hence  their  lot  in  the  other 
life  is  much  worse  than  the  lot  of  those  who  are  called  Gentiles, 
concerning  whom,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 

594.  Both  man  and  beast,  and  creeping  thing.  That  this 
signifies  that  whatsoever  is  of  the  will  would  extinguish  him, 
is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  man,"  of  "  beast,"  and  of 
"  creeping  thing."  Man  is  man  solely  from  the  will  and  under- 
standing, by  which  he  is  distinguished  from  brutes  ;  in  all  other 
respects  he  is  very  similar  to  them.  In  the  case  of  these  men 
all  will  of  good  and  understanding  of  truth  had  perished.  In 
place  of  a  will  of  good  there  followed  insane  cupidities,  in  place 
of  an  understanding  of  truth  insane  phantasies  ;  and  these  were 
commingled  with  their  cupidities,  so  that  after  they  had  thus  as 
it  were  destroyed  remains,  they  could  not  but  be  extinguished. 
That  all  things  of  the  will  are  called  "  beasts"  and  "  creeping 
things,"  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  before  concerning 
beasts  and  creeping  things.  But  here,  because  of  the  character 
of  the  man  treated  of,  good  affections  are  not  signified  by 
"  beasts,"  but  evil,  consequently  cupidities ;  and  by  "  creep- 
ing things,"  pleasures,  both  bodily  and  sensuous.  That  such 
things  are  signified  by  "  beasts"  and  "  creeping  things"  needs 
no  further  confirmation  from  the  Word,  because  they  have 
been  treated  of  before  (see  n.  45,  46,  142,  143). 


N.  695]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  7  261 

595.  That  the  fowl  of  the  heavens  signifies  whatever  is  of 
the  understanding,  that  is,  of  thought,  may  also  be  seen  above 
(n.  40). 

596.  Verse  8.  And  Noah  found  grace  in  the  eyes  of  Jeho- 
vah.    By  "  Noah"  is  signified  a  new  church.     That  he  "  found 
grace  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah,"  signifies  that  the  Lord  foresaw 
that  the  human  race  might  thus  be  saved. 

597.  By  "  Noah"  is  signified  a  new  church,  which  is  to  be 
called  the  Ancient  Church,  for  the  sake  of  distinction  between 
the  Most  Ancient  Church,  which  was  before  the  flood,  and  that 
which  was  after  the  flood.     The  states  of  these  two  churches 
were  entirely  different.     The  state  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church 
was  such  that  they  had  from  the  Lord  a  perception  of  good 
and  the  derivative  truth.     The  state  of  the  Ancient  Church,  or 
"  Noah,"  became  such  that  they  had  a  conscience  of  good  and 
truth.     Such  as  is  the  difference  between  having  perception 
and  having  conscience,  such  was  the  difference  of  state  of  the 
Most  Ancient  and  the  Ancient  Churches.     Perception  is  not 
conscience :  the  celestial  have  perception ;  the  spiritual  have 
conscience.  The  Most  Ancient  Church  was  celestial,  the  Ancient 
was  spiritual.     [2]  The  Most  Ancient  Church  had  immediate 
revelation  from  the  Lord  by  consort  with  spirits  and  angels,  as 
also  by  visions  and  dreams ;  whereby  it  was  given  them  to  have 
a  general  knowledge  of  what  was  good  and  true  ;  and  after  they 
had  acquired  a  general  knowledge,  these  general  leading  princi- 
ples, as  we  may  call  them,  were  confirmed  by  things  innumer 
able,  by  means  of  perceptions ;  and  these  innumerable  things 
were  the  particulars  or  individual  things  of  the  general  prin- 
ciples to  which  they  related.     Thus  were  the  general  leading 
principles  corroborated  day  by  day ;  whatever  was  not  in  agree- 
ment with  the  general  principles  they  perceived  not  to  be  so ; 
and  whatever  was  in  agreement  with  them  they  perceived  to  be 
so.     Such  also  is  the  state  of  the  celestial  angels.     [3]  The 
general  principles  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  were  heavenly 
and  eternal  truths, — as  that  the  Lord  governs  the  universe, 
that  all  good  and  truth  is  from  the  Lord,  that  all  life  is  from 
the  Lord,  that  man's  Own  is  nothing  but  evil,  and  in  itself 
is  dead ;  with  many  others  of  similar  character.    And  they  re- 
ceived from  the  Lord  a  perception  of  countless  things  that  con- 


262  GENESIS  [N.  597 

firmed  and  supported  these  truths.  With  them  love  was  the 
principal  of  faith.  By  love  it  was  given  them  of  the  Lord  to 
perceive  whatever  was  of  faith,  and  hence  with  them  faith  was 
love,  as  was  said  before.  But  the  Ancient  Church  became  en- 
tirely different,  concerning  which  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy 
hereafter. 

598.  He  found  grace  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah,  signifies  that 
the  Lord  foresaw  that  the  human  race  might  thus  be  saved. 
The  Lord's  nlercy  involves  and  looks  to  the  salvation  of  the 
whole  human  race ;  and  it  is  the  same  with  His  "  grace,"  and 
therefore  the  salvation  of  the  human  race  is  signified.  By 
"  Noah"  is  signified  not  only  a  new  church,  but  also  the  faith 
of  that  church,  which  was  the  faith  of  charity.  Thus  the 
Lord  foresaw  that  through  the  faith  of  charity  the  human  race 
might  be  saved  (concerning  which  faith  hereafter).  [2]  But 
there  is  a  distinction  in  the  Word  between  "  mercy"  and 
"  grace,"  and  this  in  accordance  with  the  difference  that  exists 
in  those  who  receive  them ;  "  mercy"  being  applied  to  those 
who  are  celestial,  and  "  grace"  to  those  who  are  spiritual ;  for 
the  celestial  acknowledge  nothing  but  mercy,  and  the  spiritual 
scarcely  anything  but  grace.  The  celestial  do  not  know  what 
grace  is ;  the  spiritual  scarcely  know  what  mercy  is,  which 
they  make  one  and  the  same  with  grace.  This  comes  from  the 
ground  of  the  humiliation  of  the  two  being  so  different ;  the}' 
who  are  in  humiliation  of  heart  implore  the  Lord's  mercy  ; 
but  they  who  are  in  humiliation  of  thought  beseech  His  grace  ; 
and  if  these  implore  mercy,  it  is  either  in  a  state  of  tempta- 
tion, or  is  done  with  the  mouth  only  and  not  from  the  heart. 
Because  the  new  church  called  "  Noah"  was  not  celestial  but 
spiritual,  it  is  not  said  to  have  found  "  mercy,"  but  "  grace," 
in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah.  [3]  That  there  is  a  distinction  in  the 
Word  between  "mercy"  and  "grace,"  is  evident  from  many 
passages  where  Jehovah  is  called  "  merciful  and  gracious"  (as 
in  Ps.  ciii.  8  ;  cxi.  4 ;  cxlv.  8 ;  Joel  ii.  13).  The  distinction  is 
likewise  made  in  other  places,  as  in  Jeremiah : — 

Thus  saith  Jehovah,  The  people  which  were  left  of  the  sword  found 
grace  in  the  wilderness,  when  I  went  to  give  rest  to  him,  to  Israel.  Je- 
hovah appeared  unto  me  from  afar  ;  and  I  have  loved  thee  with  an  ever- 
lasting love  •  therefore  in  mercy  have  I  drawn  thee  (xxxi.  2,  3), 


N.  598]  CHAPTER    VL  VER.  8  263 

where  "  grace"  is  predicated  of  the  spiritual,  and  "  mercy"  of 
the  celestial.  In  Isaiah  : — 

Therefore  will  Jehovah  wait  that  He  may  give  grace  unto  you,  and 
therefore  will  He  exalt  Himself  that  He  may  have  mercy  upon  you 
(xxx.  18). 

Here  likewise  "  grace"  regards  the  spiritual,  and  "  mercy"  the 
celestial.  So  in  the  chapter  presently  following,  where  Lot 
says  to  the  angel : — 

Behold  I  pray  thy  servant  hath  found  grace  hi  thine  eyes,  and  thou 
hast  made  great  thy  mercy  which  thou  hast  wrought  with  me,  to  make 
alive  my  soul  (Gen.  xix.  19). 

That  "  grace"  relates  to  spiritual  things,  which  are  of  faith,  or 
of  the  understanding,  is  evident  here  also  in  that  it  is  said,  he 
"  hath  found  grace  in  thine  eyes ;"  and  that  "  mercy"  relates 
to  celestial  things  which  are  of  love,  or  of  the  will,  is  evident 
from  the  fact  that  the  angel  is  said  to  have  "  wrought  mercy," 
and  to  have  "  made  alive  the  soul." 


9.  These  are  the  births  of  Noah ;  Noah  was  a  man  right- 
eous and  perfect  in  his  generations :  Noah  walked  with  God. 

10.  And  Noah  begat  three  sons :  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth. 

11.  And  the  earth  was  corrupt  before  God ;  and  the  earth 
was  filled  with  violence. 

12.  And  God  saw  the  earth,  and  behold  it  was  corrupt,  for 
all  flesh  had  corrupted  its  way  upon  the  earth. 

13.  And  God  said  unto  Noah,  The  end  of  all  flesh  is  come 
before  Me,  for  the  earth  is  filled  with  violence  from  their  faces, 
and  behold  I  will  destroy  them  with  the  earth. 

14.  Make  thee  an  ark  of  gopher  woods  ;  mansions  shalt  thou 
make  the  ark,  and  shalt  pitch  it  within  and  without  with  pitch. 

15.  And  thus  shalt  thou  make  it :  three  hundred  cubits  the 
length  of  the  ark,  fifty  cubits  its  breadth,  and  thirty  cubits  its 
height. 

16.  A  window  shalt  thou  make  to  the  ark,  and  to  a  cubit 
shalt  thou  finish  it  from  above  ;  and  the  door  of  the  ark  shalt 
thou  set  in  the  side  thereof;  with  lowest,  second,  and  third 
stories  shalt  thou  make  it. 


264  GENESIS  [N.  599 

17.  And  I,  behold  I  do  bring  the  flood  of  waters  upon  the 
earth,  to  destroy  all  flesh  wherein  is  the  breath  of  lives  from 
under  the  heavens  ;  everything  that  is  in  the  earth  shall  expire. 

18.  And  I  will  set  up  My  covenant  with  thee ;  and  thou  shalt 
enter  into  the  ark,  thou  and  thy  sons,  and  thy  wife,  and  thy 
sons'  wives  with  thee. 

19.  And  of  every  living  thing  of  all  flesh,  pairs  of  all  shalt 
thou  make  to  enter  into  the  ark,  to  keep  them  alive  with  thee ; 
they  shall  be  male  and  female. 

20.  Of  the  fowl  after  its  kind,  and  of  the  beast  after  its  kind, 
of  every  creeping  thing  of  the  ground  after  its  kind,  pairs  of 
all  shall  enter  unto  thee,  to  keep  them  alive. 

21.  And  take  thou  unto  thee  of  all  food  that  is  eaten,  and 
gather  it  to  thee,  and  it  shall  be  for  food  for  thee  and  for  them. 

22.  And  Noah  did  according  to  all  that  God  commanded 
him ;  so  did  he. 


THE  CONTENTS. 

599.  The  subject  here  treated  of  is  the  state  of  the  church 
called  "  Noah,"  before  its  regeneration. 

600.  The  man  of  that  church  is  described,  that  he  was  such 
that  he  could  be  regenerated  (verse  9) ;  but  that  there  arose 
thence  three  kinds  of  doctrine,  which  are  "  Shem,  Ham,  and 
Japheth"  (verse  10). 

601.  That  the  man  who  was  left  from  the  Most  Ancient 
Church  could  not  be  regenerated,  on  account  of  his  direful  per- 
suasions and  foul  cupidities  (verses  11, 12)  ;  whereby  he  would 
utterly  destroy  himself  (verse  13). 

602.  But  the  man  of  the  church  called  "  Noah,"  who  is  de- 
scribed by  the  "  ark,"  was  not  so  (verse  14) ;  and  the  remains 
with  him  are  described  by  the  measures  (verse  15) ;  the  things 
of  his  understanding,  by  the  "window,"  "door,"  and  "man- 
sions" (verse  16). 

603.  That  he  would  be  preserved  when  the  rest  would  perish 
by  an  inundation  of  evil  and  falsity  (verse  17). 

604.  And  that  the  truths  and  goods  which  were  with  him 
would  be  saved  (verse  18) ;  and  thus  whatever  was  of  the  un- 


N.  604]  CONTENTS  265 

derstanding  and  whatever  was  of  the  will,  by  regeneration 
(verses  19,  20) ;  for  receiving  which  he  was  to  be  prepared 
(verse  21) ;  and  that  it  was  so  done  (verse  22). 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

605.  The  subject  now  treated  of  is  the  formation  of  a  new 
church,  which  is  called  "  Noah ;"  and  its  formation  is  described 
by  the  ark  into  which  living  things  of  every  kind  were  received. 
But  as  is  wont  to  be  the  case,  before  that  new  church  could 
arise  it  was  necessary  that  the  man  of  the  church  should  suffer 
many  temptations,  which  are  described  by  the  lifting  up  of  the 
ark,  its  fluctuation,  and  its  delay  upon  the  waters  of  the  flood. 
And  finally,  that  he  became  a  true  spiritual  man  and  was  set 
free,  is  described  by  the  cessation  of  the  waters,  and  the  many 
things  that  follow.     No  one  can  see  this  who  adheres  to  the 
sense  of  the  letter  only,  in  consequence  (and  especially  is  this 
the  case  here)  of  all  things  being  historically  connected,  and 
presenting  the  idea  of  a  history  of  events.     But  such  was  the 
style  of  the  men  of  that  time,  and  most  pleasing  to  them  it  was 
that  all  things  should  be  wrapped  up  in  representative  figures, 
and  that  these  should  be  arranged  in  the  form  of  history ;  and 
the  more  coherent  the  historical  series,  the  better  suited  it  was 
to  their  genius.     For  in  those  ancient  times  men  were  not  so 
much  inclined  to  memory -knowledges  (scientiis)  as  at  this  day, 
but  to  profound  thoughts,  of  which  the  offspring  was  such  as 
iias  been  described.     This  was  the  wisdom  of  the  ancients. 

606.  That  the  "flood,"  the  "ark,"  and  therefore  the  things 
described  in  connection  with  them,  signify  regeneration,  and 
also  the  temptations  that  precede  regeneration,  is  in  some  de- 
gree known  among  the  learned  at  this  day,  who  also  compare 
regeneration  and  temptations  to  the  waters  of  a  flood. 

607.  But  the  character  of  this  church  will  be  described 
hereafter.     That  an  idea  of  it  may  be  presented  here,  it  shall 
be  briefly  said  that  the  Most  Ancient  Church  was  celestial,  as 
already  shown,  but  this  church  became  spiritual.     The  Most 


266  GENESIS  [N.  607 

Ancient  Church  had  a  perception  of  good  and  truth ;  this,  or 
the  Ancient  Church,  had  not  perception,  but  in  its  place  another 
kind  of  dictate,  which  may  be  called  conscience.  [2]  But  what 
is  as  yet  unknown  in  the  world,  and  is  perhaps  difficult  to  be- 
lieve, is  that  the  men  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  had  internal 
respiration,  and  only  tacit  external  respiration.  Thus  they 
spoke  not  so  much  by  words,  as  afterwards  and  as  at  this  day, 
but  by  ideas,  as  angels  do ;  and  these  they  could  express  by  in- 
numerable changes  of  the  looks  and  face,  especially  of  the  lips. 
In  the  lips  there  are  countless  series  of  muscular  fibres  which 
at  this  day  are  not  set  free,  but  being  free  with  the  men  of  that 
time,  they  could  so  present,  signify,  and  represent  ideas  by  them 
as  to  express  in  a  minute's  time  what  at  this  day  it  would  re- 
quire an  hour  to  say  by  articulate  sounds  and  words,  and  they 
could  do  this  more  fully  and  clearly  to  the  apprehension  and 
understanding  of  those  present  than  is  possible  by  words,  or 
series  of  words  in  combination.  This  may  perhaps  seem  in- 
credible, but  yet  it  is  true.  And  there  are  many  others,  not 
of  this  earth,  who  have  spoken  and  at  this  day  speak  in  a  similar 
manner ;  concerning  whom,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  here- 
after. [3]  It  has  been  given  me  to  know  the  nature  of  that  in- 
ternal respiration,  and  how  in  process  of  time  it  was  changed. 
As  these  most  ancient  people  had  a  respiration  such  as  the 
angels  have,  who  breathe  in  a  similar  manner,  they  were  in 
profound  ideas  of  thought,  and  were  able  to  have  such  percep- 
tion as  cannot  be  described ;  and  even  if  it  could  be  described 
such  as  it  really  was,  it  would  not  be  believed,  because  it  would 
not  be  comprehended.  But  in  their  posterity  this  internal  res- 
piration little  by  little  came  to  an  end;  and  with  those  who 
were  possessed  with  dreadful  persuasions  and  phantasies,  it 
became  such  that  they  could  no  longer  present  any  idea  of 
thought  except  the  most  debased,  the  effect  of  which  was  that 
they  could  not  survive,  and  therefore  all  became  extinct. 

608.  When  internal  respiration  ceased,  external  respiration 
gradually  succeeded,  almost  like  that  of  the  present  day ;  and 
with  external  respiration  a  language  of  words,  or  of  articulate 
sound  into  which  the  ideas  of  thought  were  determined.  Thus 
the  state  of  man  was  entirely  changed,  and  became  such  that 
he  could  no  \onger  have  similar  perception,  but  instead  of  per- 


K  608]  CHAPTER   VL  267 

ception  another  kind  of  dictate  which  may  be  called  conscience, 
for  it  was  like  conscience,  though  a  kind  of  intermediate  be- 
tween perception  and  the  conscience  known  to  some  at  this 
day.  And  when  such  determination  of  the  ideas  of  thought 
took  place,  that  is  to  say,  into  spoken  words,  they  could  no 
longer  be  instructed,  like  the  most  ancient  man,  through  the 
internal  man,  but  through  the  external.  And  therefore  in  place 
of  the  revelations  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  doctrinal  things 
succeeded,  which  could  first  be  received  by  the  external  senses, 
and  from  them  material  ideas  of  the  memory  could  be  formed, 
and  from  these,  ideas  of  thought,  by  which  and  according  to 
which  they  were  instructed.  Hence  it  was  that  this  church 
which  followed  possessed  an  entirely  different  genius  from  that 
of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  and  if  the  Lord  had  not  brought 
the  human  race  into  this  genius,  or  into  this  state,  no  man 
could  have  been  saved. 

609.  As  the  state  of  the  man  of  this  church  which  is  called 
"  Noah"  was  altogether  changed  from  that  of  the  man  of  the 
Most  Ancient  Church,  he  could  no  longer — as  before  said — be 
informed  and  enlightened  in  the  same  way  as  the  most  ancient 
man ;  for  hio  internals  were  closed,  so  that  he  no  longer  had 
communication  with  heaven,  except  such  as  was  unconscious. 
Nor,  for  the  same  reason,  could  he  be  instructed  except  as 
before  said  by  the  external  way  of  sense  or  of  the  senses.  On 
this  account,  of  the  Lord's  providence,  doctrinal  matters  of 
faith,  with  some  of  the  revelations  to  the  Most  Ancient  Church, 
were  preserved  for  the  use  of  this  posterity.  These  doctrinal 
things  were  first  collected  by  "  Cain,"  and  were  stored  up  that 
they  might  not  be  lost ;  and  therefore  it  is  said  of  Cain  that 
a  "  mark  was  set  upon  him,  lest  any  one  should  slay  him"  (con- 
cerning which  see  what  was  said  at  that  place,  chapter  iv.  15). 
These  doctrinal  matters  were  afterwards  reduced  into  doctrine 
by  "  Enoch ;"  but  because  this  doctrine  was  of  use  to  no  one 
at  that  time,  but  was  for  posterity,  it  is  said  that  "  God  took 
him."  (See  also  chapter  v.  24.)  These  doctrinal  matters  of 
faith  are  what  were  preserved  by  the  Lord  for  the  use  of  this 
posterity  or  church ;  for  it  was  foreseen  by  the  Lord  that  per- 
ception would  be  lost,  and  therefore  it  was  provided  that  these 
doctrinal  things  should  remain. 


268  GENESIS  [N.  610 

610.  Verse  9.   These  are  the  births  of  Noah ;  Noah  was  a 
man  righteous  and  perfect  in  his  generations:    Noah  walked 
with  God.    By  "  the  births  of  Noah,"  is  signified  a  description 
of  the  reformation  or  regeneration  of  the  new  church.     That 
"  Noah  was  a  man  just  and  perfect  in  his  generations,"  signi- 
fies that  he  was  such  that  he  could  be  endowed  with  charity ; 
"  just"  (or  "  righteous")  has  relation  to  the  good  of  charity, 
and  "  perfect"  to  the  truth  of  charity.     The  "  generations"  are 
those  of  faith.     To  "  walk  with  God"  signifies  here  as  before, 
when  said  of  Enoch,  the  doctrine  of  faith. 

611.  That  by  "the  births  of  Noah"  is  signified  a  description 
of  the  reformation  or  regeneration  of  the  new  church,  is  evi- 
dent from  what  has  been  said  before  (at  chapter  ii.  4,  and  v.  1). 

612.  Noah  was  a  man  righteous  and  perfect*  in  his  genera- 
tions.    That  this  signifies  that  he  was  such  that  he  could  be 
endowed  with   charity,  is  evident   from   the    signification  of 
"just  and  perfect,"  "just"  (or  " righteous")  having  regard  to 
the  good  of  charity,  and  "perfect"  to  the  truth  of  charity; 
and  also  from  the  essential  of  that  church  being  charity,  con- 
cerning which,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter.     That 
"  just"  (or  "  righteous")  has  regard  to  the  good  of  charity,  and 
"  perfect"  to  the  truth  of  charity,  is  evident  from  the  Word,  as 
in  Isaiah : — 

They  will  seek  Me  daily  and  desire  knowledge  of  My  ways,  as  a  na- 
tion that  doeth  righteousness,  and  forsaketh  not  the  judgment  of  their 
God  ;  they  will  ask  of  Me  the  judgments  of  righteousness,  and  will  long 
for  the  approach  of  God  (Iviii.  2). 

Here  "judgment"  denotes  the  things  which  are  of  truth,  and 
"  righteousness"  those  which  are  of  good.  "  Doing  judgment 
and  righteousness"  became  as  it  were  an  established  formula 
for  doing  what  is  true  and  good  (as  in  Isa.  Ivi.  1 ;  Jer.  xxii.  3, 
13,  15 ;  xxiii.  5 ;  xxxiii.  14,  16,  19).  The  Lord  said  : — 

The  righteous!  shall  shine  forth  as  the  sun,  in  the  kingdom  of  My 
Father  (Matt.  xiii.  43), 

"  the  righteous"  meaning  those  who  are  endowed  with  charity ; 
and  concerning  the  consummation  of  the  age  He  said  : — 

»  "  Perfect"  is  used  here  in  the  sense  of  "  -whole,"  "  entire."  Swedenborg's  word 
is  integer.  [REVISER.] 

t  The  Latin  has  only  one  word  for  our  two  English  words  "just"  and  "  right- 
eous," and  it  is  the  same  with  "justice"  and  "  righteousness."  [REVISER.] 


N.  612]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.   9  269 

The  angels  shall  go  forth  and  shall  sever  the  wicked  from  among  the 
righteous  (v.  49). 

Here  also  the  "  righteous"  denote  those  who  are  in  the  good 
of  charity.  [2]  But  "  perfect"  signifies  the  truth  which  is 
from  charity,  for  there  is  truth  from  many  another  origin ;  but 
that  which  is  from  the  good  of  charity  from  the  Lord  is  called 
"  perfect"  and  a  "  perfect  man,"  as  in  David : — 

Who  shall  sojourn  in  Thy  tent,  who  shall  dwell  hi  the  mountain  of 
Thy  holiness  ?  He  that  walketh  perfect,  and  worketh  righteousness,  and 
speaketh  the  truth  in  his  heart  (Ps.  xv.  1,  2). 

The  "  perfect"  (or  "  complete")  man  is  here  described.  Again : — 

With  the  holy  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  holy ;  with  the  perfect  man 
Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  perfect  (xviii.  25), 

where  the  "  perfect  man"  is  one  who  is  so  from  holiness,  or 
the  good  of  charity.  And  again  : — 

Jehovah  will  withhold  no  good  from  them  that  walk  in  perfectness 
(integritate)  (Ixxxiv.  11). 

[3]  That  a  "perfect  man"  is  one  who  is  true  from  good,  or 
who  speaks  and  does  truth  from  charity,  is  evident  from  the 
words  "  walk"  and  "  way"  being  often  applied  to  what  is  per- 
fect, that  is,  to  wholeness  or  entirety,  and  also  the  words 
"upright"  or  "uprightness,"  which  words  pertain  to  truth. 
As  in  David : — 

I  will  teach  the  perfect  hi  the  way  how  far  he  shall  come  unto  me.  I 
will  walk  within  my  house  in  the  perfectness  of  my  heart  (Ps.  ci.  2) ; 

and  in  the  sixth  verse  : — 

He  that  walketh  in  the  way  of  the  perfect,  he  shall  minister  unto  me. 
Again : — 

Blessed  are  the  perfect  in  the  way,  who  walk  in  the  law  of  Jehovah 
(Ps.  cxix.  1). 

And  again : — 

Perfectness  and  uprightness  shall  guard  me  (xxv.  21). 
And  in  another  place  : — 

Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  upright,  for  the  end  of  that 
man  is  peace  (xxxvii.  37). 

It  is  evident  from  these  passages  that  he  is  called  "  righteous" 
who  does  what  is  good,  and  that  he  is  called  "perfect"  who 


270  GENESIS  [N.  612 

does  what  is  true  therefrom,  which  also  is  to  "  do  righteous- 
ness and  judgment."  "  Holiness"  and  "  righteousness"  are  the 
celestial  of  faith ;  "  perfectness"  and  "  judgment"  are  the 
spiritual  thence  derived. 

613.  That  the  "generations"  are  those  of  faith,  does  not 
appear  from  the  sense  of  the  letter,  which  is  historical ;  but  as 
internal  things  only  are  here  treated  of,  generations  of  faith 
are  signified.     It  is  also  evident  from  the  connection  that  the 
generations  here  are  no  others.     It  is  the  same  in  other  pas- 
sages of  the  Word,  as  in  Isaiah : — 

They  that  shall  be  of  thee  shall  build  the  waste  places  of  old  ;  thou 
shalt  raise  up  the  foundations  of  generation  and  generation  ;  and  thou 
shalt  be  called,  The  repairer  of  the  breach,  The  restorer  of  paths  to 
dwell  in  (Iviii.  12). 

All  these  things  signify  what  is  of  faith ;  the  "  waste  places 
of  old"  signify  celestial  things  of  faith ;  the  "  foundations  of 
generation  and  generation,"  spiritual  things  of  faith,  which 
had  lapsed  from  the  ancient  times  that  are  likewise  signified. 
Again : — 

They  shall  build  the  old  wastes,  they  shall  raise  up  the  former  desola- 
tions, they  shall  renew  the  waste  cities,  the  desolations  of  generation 
and  generation  (Ixi.  4)  ; 

with  similar  signification.     And  again : — 

They  shall  not  labor  in  vain,  nor  bring  forth  for  trouble  ;  for  they  are 
the  seed  of  the  blessed  of  Jehovah,  and  their  offspring  with  them 
(Ixv.  23). 

Here  also  "bringing  forth  (generare)"  is  predicated  of  the 
things  of  faith ;  "  laboring,"  of  those  of  love.  Of  the  latter 
it  is  said  that  they  are  "  the  seed  of  the  blessed  of  Jehovah  ;" 
of  the  former,  that  they  are  "  offspring." 

614.  That  "to  walk  with   God"  signifies  the   doctrine   of 
faith,  may  be   seen   from   what  was   said   before    respecting 
Enoch  (chapter  v.  22,  24),  of  whom  also  it  is  said  that  he 
"  walked  with  God ;"  and  there  it  signifies   the   doctrine  of 
faith  preserved  for  the  use  of  posterity.     And  as  this  is  the 
posterity  for  whose  use  it  was  preserved,  the  subject  is  now 
here  taken  up  again. 

615.  The  quality  of  the  man  of  this  church   is  here   de- 
scribed in  general ;  not  that  he  was  such  as  yet — for  his  for- 


N.  616J  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  9  271 

mation  is  treated  of  in  what  follows — but  that  such  he  might 
become :  that  is  to  say,  that  by  knowledges  of  faith  he  could 
be  endowed  with  charity,  and  so  act  from  charity,  and  from 
the  good  of  charity  know  what  is  true.  For  this  reason  the 
good  of  charity  or  "  righteous"  precedes,  and  the  truth  of  charity 
or  "  perfect"  follows.  Charity,  as  before  said,  is  love  toward 
the  neighbor  and  mercy ;  and  it  is  a  lower  degree  of  the  love 
of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  which  was  love  to  the  Lord. 
Thus  love  now  descended  and  became  more  external,  and  is  to 
be  called  charity. 

616.  Verse  10.  And  Noah  begat  three  sons:    Shem,  Ham, 
and  Japheth.     "Noah  begat  three  sons,"  signifies  that  three 
kinds  of  doctrine  thence  arose,  which  are  meant  by  "  Shem, 
Ham,  and  Japheth." 

617.  Noah  begat  three  sons.     That  this  signifies  that  three 
kinds  of  doctrine  thence  arose,  is  evident  from  all  that  has 
been  shown  before  about  names  signifying  nothing  else  than 
churches,  or,  what  is  the  same,  doctrines.     So  it  is  here ;  but 
here  they  are  merely  mentioned  for  the  sake  of  the  series  or 
connection  with  the  things  that  precede,  which  are,  that  it  was 
foreseen  by  the  Lord  that  the  man  of   this  genius  could  be 
endowed  with  charity ;  but  yet  that  three  kinds  of  doctrines 
would  thence  have  birth,  which  doctrines,  of  the  Lord's  Di- 
vine mercy,  shall  be  described  hereafter,  where  Shem,  Ham, 
and  Japheth  are  treated  of. 

618.  That    "Noah   was   righteous   and    perfect,"   that   he 
"walked  with  God,"  and  in  this  verse  that  he  "begat  three 
sons,"  is  all  said  in  the  past  tense,  and  yet  these  expressions 
look  to  the  future.    It  should  be  known  that  the  internal  sense 
is  such  that  it  has  no  relation  to  times ;  and  this  the  original 
language  favors,  where  sometimes  one  and  the  same  word  is 
applicable  to  any  time  whatever,  without  using  different  words, 
for  by  this  means  interior  things  appear  more  evidently.    The 
language  derives  this  from  the  internal  sense,  which  is  more 
manifold  than  any  one  could  believe  ;  and  therefore  it  does  not 
suffer  itself  to  be  limited  by  times  and  distinctions. 

619.  Verse  11.  And  the  earth  ivas  corrupt  before  God ;  and 
the  earth  was  filled  with  violence.     By  the  "  earth"  is  signified 
the  race  mentioned  before.     It  is  said  to  be  "  corrupt"  on  ac- 


272  GENESIS  [N.  619 

count  of  their  dreadful  persuasions;  and  to  be  "filled  with 
violence,"  on  account  of  their  foul  cupidities.  Here  and  in 
the  following  verses  of  this  chapter  it  is  said  "  God,"  because 
there  was  now  no  church. 

620.  That  by  the  "earth"  is  signified  the  race  which  has 
been  treated  of  before,  is  evident  from  what  has  already  been 
told  respecting  the  signification  of  "  earth"  and  of  "  ground." 
The  "  earth"  *  is  a  term  very  often  used  in  the  Word ;  and  by 
it  is  signified  the  "  land"  where  the  true  church  of  the  Lord  is, 
as  the  "  land"  of  Canaan ;  also  a  "  land"  where  there  is  not  a 
church,  as  the  "  land"  of  Egypt,  and  of  the  Gentiles.     Thus 
it  denotes  the  race  that  dwells  there ;  and  as  it  denotes  the 
race,  it  denotes  likewise  every  one  of  the  race  who  is  there. 
The  church  is  called  the  "  land"  from  celestial  love,  as  the 
"land  of  Canaan;"  and  the  "land  of  the  Gentiles"  from  im- 
pure loves.     But  it  is  called  "ground"  from  faith  which  is 
implanted ;  for,  as  has  been  said,  the  land  or  country  is  the 
containant  of  the  ground,  and  the  ground  is  the  containant  of 
the  field,  just  as  love  is  the  containant  of  faith,  and  faith  is 
the  containant  of  the  knowledges  of  faith  which  are  implanted. 
Here  the  "  earth"  is  taken  for  a  race  in  which  everything  of 
celestial  love  and  of  the  church  had  perished.     What  is  predi- 
cated is  known  from  the  subject. 

621.  That  the  earth  is  said  to  be  "  corrupt"  on  account  of 
their  dreadful  persuasions,  and  "  filled  with  violence"  because 
of  their  foul  cupidities,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  the 
verb  to  "  corrupt"  and  of  the  word  "  violence."     In  the  Word 
one  term  is  never  taken  for  another,  but  uniformly  that  word 
is  employed  which  fitly  expresses  the  thing  of   which  it  is 
predicated;  and  this  so  exactly  that  from   the  words   alone 
which  are  used,  what  is  in  the  internal  sense  at  once  appears, 
as  here  from  the  words  "  corrupt"  and  "  violence."    "  Corrupt" 
is  predicated  of  the  things  of  the  understanding  when  it  is 
desolated ;  "  violence,"  of  the  things  of  the  will,  when  vastated. 
Thus  "  to  corrupt"  is  predicated  of  persuasions ;  and  "  violence," 
of  cupidities. 

622.  That  "to  corrupt"  is  predicated  of  persuasions,  is  evi- 
dent in  Isaiah : — 

*  The  Latin  word  terra  means  both  "  earth"  and  "  land."     [REVISEH.] 


».  622]  CHAPTER    VI.  VER.  11  273 

They  shall  not  hurt,  nor  corrupt,  in  all  the  mountain  of  My  holiness  ; 
for  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah  (xi.  9)  ; 

and  so  in  Ixv.  25,  where  "  to  hurt"  has  relation  to  the  will, 
or  to  cupidities,  and  "  to  corrupt"  to  the  understanding,  or  to 
persuasions  of  falsity.  Again  : — 

Woe  to  the  sinful  nation,  a  people  laden  with  iniquity,  a  seed  of  evil- 
doers, sons  that  are  corrupters  (i.  4). 

Here,  as  in  other  places,  "  nation"  and  the  "  seed  of  evil-doers" 
denote  evils  which  are  of  the  will,  or  of  cupidities  ;  "  people," 
and  "sons  that  are  corrupters,"  falsities  which  are  of  the 
understanding,  or  of  persuasions.  In  Ezekiel : — 

Thou  wast  more  corrupt  than  they  hi  all  thy  ways  (xvi.  47). 

Here  "  corrupt"  is  predicated  of  things  of  the  understanding, 
of  the  reason,  or  of  the  thought ;  for  "  way"  is  a  word  that 
signifies  truth.  In  David : — 

They  have  done  what  is  corrupt,  and  have  done  abominable  work 
(Ps.  xiv.  1). 

Here  "what  is  corrupt"  denotes  dreadful  persuasions,  and 
"  abominable"  the  foul  cupidities  which  are  in  the  work,  or 
from  which  the  work  is  done.  In  Daniel : — 

After  sixty  and  two  weeks  shall  the  Messiah  be  cut  off,  and  there  shall 
be  none  belonging  to  Him  ;  and  the  people  of  the  leader  that  shall  come 
shall  corrupt  the  city  and  the  sanctuary,  and  the  end  thereof  shall  be 
with  a  flood  (ix.  26). 

Here  likewise  "  to  corrupt"  denotes  persuasions  of  what  is  false, 
of  which  a  "  flood"  is  predicated. 

623.  The  earth  was  filled  with  violence.  That  this  is  said 
on  account  of  their  foul  cupidities,  and  most  of  all  on  account 
of  those  which  come  of  the  love  of  self,  or  of  inordinate  arro- 
gance, is  evident  from  the  Word.  It  is  called  "  violence"  when 
men  do  violence  to  holy  things  by  profaning  them,  as  did  these 
antediluvians  who  immersed  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith  in  all 
kinds  of  cupidities.  As  in  Ezekiel : — 

My  faces  will  I  turn  from  them,  and  they  shall  profane  My  secret 
[place],  and  robbers  shall  enter  into  it  and  profane  it.     Make  the  chain  ; 
for  the  land  is  full  of  the  judgment  of  bloods,  and  the  city  is  full  of  vio- 
lence (vii.  22.  23). 
VOL.  I.— 18 


274  GENESIS  [N.  623 

The  "  violent"  are  here  described  as  to  who  they  are,  and  that 
they  are  such  as  we  have  stated.  Again : — 

They  shall  eat  their  bread  in  solicitude,  and  drink  their  waters  in  deso- 
lation, that  her  land  may  be  devastated  from  its  fullness,  because  of  the 
violence  of  all  them  that  dwell  therein  (xii.  19). 

The  "  bread  which  they  shall  eat  in  solicitude,"  is  the  celestial 
things,  and  the  "  waters  which  they  shall  drink  in  desolation" 
are  the  spiritual  things,  to  which  they  have  done  violence,  or 
which  they  have  profaned.  [2]  In  Isaiah : — 

Their  webs  shall  not  be  for  garments  ;  neither  shall  they  be  covered  in 
their  works  ;  their  works  are  works  of  iniquity,  and  the  deed  of  violence 
is  in  their  hands  (lix.  6). 

Here  "  webs"  and  "  garments"  are  predicated  of  things  of  the 
understanding,  that  is,  of  the  thought ;  "  iniquity"  and  "  vio- 
lence," of  things  of  the  will,  that  is,  of  works.  In  Jonah : — 

Let  them  turn  every  one  from  his  evil  way,  and  from  the  violence  that 
is  in  their  hands  (iii.  8), 

where  the  "  evil  way"  is  predicated  of  falsities,  which  are  of 
the  understanding ;  and  "  violence,"  of  evils,  which  are  of  the 
will.  In  Jeremiah : — 

A  rumor  shall  come  in  one  year,  and  violence  in  the  land  (li.  46). 

"  A  rumor"  denotes  things  which  are  of  the  understanding, 
"  violence,"  those  which  are  of  the  will.  In  Isaiah  : — 

He  hath  done  no  violence,  neither  was  there  any  deceit  in  His  mouth 
(liii.  9). 

Here  also  "  violence"  denotes  the  things  of  the  will ;  "  deceit 
in  His  mouth,"  those  of  the  understanding. 

624.  That  a  state  not  of  the  church  is  here  treated  of,  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  here  and  in  the  following  verses  of 
this  chapter  the  name  "  God"  is  used,  but  in  preceding  verses 
"  Jehovah."  When  there  is  not  a  church  "  God"  is  the  term 
used,  and  when  there  is  a  church  "  Jehovah ;"  as  in  the  first 
chapter  of  Genesis,  when  there  was  no  church,  it  is  said  "  God ;" 
but  in  the  second  chapter,  when  there  was  a  church,  it  is  said 
"  Jehovah  God."  The  name  "  Jehovah"  is  most  holy,  and  be- 
longs only  to  the  church ;  but  the  name  "  God"  is  not  so  holy, 
for  there  was  no  nation  that  had  not  gods,  and  therefore  the 


N.  624]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  11  275 

name  God  was  not  so  holy.  No  one  was  permitted  to  speak 
the  name  "  Jehovah"  unless  he  had  knowledge  (cognitio)  of  the 
true  faith ;  but  any  one  might  speak  the  name  "  God." 

625.  Verse  12.  And  God  saw  the  earth,  and  behold  it  was 
corrupt,  for  all  flesh  had  corrupted  its  way  upon  the  earth. 
"  God  saw  the  earth,"  signifies  that  God  knew  man ;  "  it  was 
corrupt,"  signifies  that  there  was  nothing  but  falsity ;  "  for  all 
flesh  had  corrupted  its  way  upon  the  earth,"  signifies  that  the 
corporeal  nature  of  man  had  destroyed  all  the  understanding 
of  truth. 

626.  God  saw  the  earth.    That  this  signifies  that  God  knew 
man,  is  evident  to  every  one ;  for  God  who  knows  all  things 
and  everything  from  eternity,  has  no  need  to  see  whether  man 
is  such.     To  "  see"  is  human,  and  therefore — as  has  been  said 
at  the  sixth  verse  and  elsewhere — the  Word  is  spoken  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  appearance  of  things  to  man ;  and  this  to 
such  a  degree  that  God  is  even  said  to  "  see  with  eyes." 

627.  For  all  flesh  had  corrupted  its  way  upon  the  earth. 
That  this  signifies  that  man's  corporeal  nature  had  destroyed 
all  the  understanding  of  truth,  is  evident  from  the  signification 
of  "flesh"  (concerning  which  at  verse  3),  which  in  general 
means  every  man,  and  in  particular  the  corporeal  man,  or  all 
that  is  of  the  body ;  and  from  the  signification  of  a  "  way"  as 
being  the  understanding  of  truth,  that  is,  truth  itself.     That 
a  "  way"  is  predicated  of  the  understanding  of  truth,  that  is, 
of  truth,  is  evident  from  passages  which  have  been  adduced 
in  different  places  before,  and  also  from  the  following.     In 
Moses : — 

Jehovah  said,  Arise,  get  thee  down  quickly  from  hence  ;  for  thy  people 
have  corrupted  themselves  ;  they  have  suddenly  turned  back  out  of  the 
way  which  I  commanded  them  ;  they  have  made  them  a  molten  image 
(Deut.  ix.  12,  16), 

meaning  that  they  had  turned  away  from  the  commandments, 
which  are  truths.  [2]  In  Jeremiah : — 

Whose  eyes  are  open  upon  all  the  ways  of  the  sons  of  man,  to  give 
every  man  according  to  his  ways,  and  according  to  the  fruit  of  his  works 
(xxxii.  19). 

The  "  ways"  here  are  a  life  according  to  the  commandments ; 
i;  the  fruit  of  his  works,"  is  a  life  from  charity.  Thus  a  "  way" 


276  .  GENESIS  [N.  627 

is  predicated  of  truths,  which  are  those  of  the  precepts  and 
commandments.  And  the  meaning  of  "  son  of  man"  (homo) 
and  of  "  man"  (vir)  is  as  has  been  shown  above.  So  in  Jere- 
miah vii.  3,  and  xvii.  10.  In  Hosea : — 

I  will  visit  upon  him  his  ways,  and  render  to  him  his  works  (iv.  9). 

In  Zechariah : — 

Return  ye  from  your  evil  ways,  and  from  your  evil  works.  Like  as 
Jehovah  Zebaoth  thought  to  do  unto  us  according  to  our  ways,  and 
according  to  our  works  (i.  4,  6). 

Here  the  sense  is  similar,  but  the  opposite  of  the  former,  be- 
cause they  are  evil  "  ways"  and  evil  "  works."  In  Jeremiah  : — • 

I  will  give  them  one  heart,  and  one  way  (xxxii.  39). 
"  Heart"  denotes  goods,  and  "  way"  truths.  In  David : — 

Make  me  to  understand  the  way  of  Thy  commandments  ;  remove  from 
me  the  way  of  falsehood ;  and  grant  me  Thy  law  graciously.  I  have 
chosen  the  way  of  truth.  I  will  run  the  way  of  Thy  commandments 
(cxix.  27,  29,  30,  32). 

Here  the  "  way  of  the  commandments"  is  called  the  "  way  of 
truth" — opposite  to  which  is  the  "way  of  falsehood."  [3] 
Again : — 

Make  known  to  me  Thy  ways,  0  Jehovah,  teach  me  Thy  paths.  Lead 
my  way  in  Thy  truth,  and  teach  me  (Ps.  xxv.  4,  6). 

Here  likewise  a  "  way"  manifestly  denotes  truth.    In  Isaiah  : — 

With  whom  did  Jehovah  take  counsel,  and  who  instructed  Him,  and 
taught  Hun  the  path  of  judgment,  and  taught  Him  knowledge  (scientia), 
and  made  Him  to  know  the  way  of  understanding  (xl.  14), 

manifestly  for  the  understanding  of  truth.     In  Jeremiah: — 

Thus  hath  said  Jehovah,  Stand  ye  upon  the  ways  and  see,  and  ask  for 
the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good  way,  and  go  therein  (vi.  16). 

Here  likewise  "way"  is  put  for  the  understanding  of  truth. 
In  Isaiah : — 

I  will  lead  the  blind  in  a  way  that  they  knew  not,  in  paths  that  they 
have  not  known  I  will  lead  them  (xlii.  16). 

The  terms  "way,"  "path  (semita)"  "path  (frames),'-  "street 
(platea)"  and  "  street  (vicus)"  are  predicated  of  truth,  because 
they  lead  to  truth  ;  as  also  in  Jeremiah : — 


N.  627]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  12 

They  have  caused  them  to  stumiuie  hi  their  ways,  in  the  ancient  paths, 
to  walk  in  by-paths,  in  a  way  not  cast  up  (xviii.  15). 

So  in  the  book  of  Judges : — 

In  the  days  of  Jael  the  paths  ceased,  and  they  that  walked  in  paths 
went  through  crooked  paths.     The  streets  ceased  in  Israel  (v.  6). 

628.  The  internal  sense  here  is  that  every  man  whatsoever, 
in  the  land  where  the  church  was,  "  had  corrupted  his  way," 
so  that  he  did  not  understand  truth.     For  every  man  had  be- 
come corporeal,  not  only  those  referred  to  in  the  preceding 
verse,  but  also  those  called  "  Noah,"  who  are  specifically  treated 
of  here  and  in  the  following  verse,  for  such  they  were  before 
they  were  regenerated.     These  things  are  said  first,  because 
in  the  following  verses  their  regeneration  is  treated  of.    And 
because   but   little   of   the  church  remained,   "  God"   is  now 
named,  not  "  Jehovah."    In  this  verse  is  signified  that  there 
was  nothing  true,  and  in  the  following  verse,  that  there  was 
nothing  good,  except  in  the  remains  which  they  had  who  are 
called  "  Noah"  (for  without  remains  there  is  no  regeneration), 
and  also  in  the  doctrinal  matters  that  they  knew.     But  there 
was  no  understanding  of  truth,  as  there  never  can  be  except 
where  there  is  a  will  of  good.     Where  the  will  is  not,  there  is 
no  understanding ;  and  as  the  will  is,  such  is  the  understand- 
ing.    The  most  ancient  people  had  a  will  of  good,  because  they 
had  love  to  the  Lord  ;  and  from  this  they  had  an  understanding 
of  truth,  but  this  understanding  wholly  perished  with  the  will. 
A  kind  of  rational  truth  however,  as  well  as  natural  good,  re- 
mained with  those  who  are  called  "  Noah,"  and  therefore  they 
could  be  regenerated. 

629.  Verse  13.  And  God  said  unto  Noah,  The  end  of  all 
flesh  is  come  before  Me,  for  the  earth  is  filled  with  violence 
from  their  faces,  and  behold  I  destroy  them  with  the  earth. 
"  God  said,"  signifies  that  it  was  so ;  "  the  end  of  all  flesh  is 
come  before  Me,"  signifies  that  the  human  race  could  not  but 
perish :  "  for  the  earth  is  filled  with  violence,"  signifies  that 
tney  no  longer  had  a  will  of  good ;  "  behold  I  destroy  them 
with  the  earth,"  signifies  that  the  human  race  would  perish 
with  the  church. 

630.  That  "  God  said"  signifies  that  it  was  so,  is  evident 
from  the  fact  that  in  Jehovah  there  is  nothing  but  Being  (Esse), 


278  GENESIS  [N.  031 

631.  That  the  end  of  all  flesh  is  come  before  Me  signifies 
that  the  human  race  could  not  but  perish,  is  evident  from  the 
words  themselves,  and  from  the  signification  of  "  flesh,"  which 
means  every  man  in  general,  and  specifically  the  corporeal  man, 
as  already  shown. 

632.  That  the  earth  Is  filled  with  violence  signifies  that  they 
no  longer  had  a  will  of  good,  is  evident  from  what  has  been 
said  and  shown  before   concerning  the  signification  of  "  vio- 
lence" (at  verse  11).     In  the  preceding  verse  the  understand- 
ing of  truth  was  spoken  of,  and  here  the  will  of  good,  because 
both  had  perished  with  the  man  of  the  church. 

633.  The  case  is  this  :  With  no  man  is  there  any  understand- 
ing of  truth  and  will  of  good,  not  even  with  those  who  were  of 
the  Most  Ancient  Church.     But  when  men  become  celestial  it 
appears  as  if  they  had  a  will  of  good  and  understanding  of 
truth,  and  yet  this  is  of  the  Lord  alone,  as  they  also  know, 
acknowledge,  and  perceive.     So  is  it  with  the  angels  also.     So 
true  is  this  that  whoever  does  not  know,  acknowledge,  and  per- 
ceive that  it  is  so,  has  no  understanding  of  truth  or  will  of  good 
whatever.     With  every  man,  and  with  every  angel,  even  the 
most  celestial,  that  which  is  his  own  is  nothing  but  falsity 
and  evil ;  for  it  is  known  that  the  heavens  are  not  clean  before 
the  Lord  [Job  xv.  15],  and  that  all  good  and  all  truth  are  of 
the  Lord  alone.     But  so  far  as  a  man  or  an  angel  is  capable 
of  being  perfected,  so  far  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  he  is  per- 
fected, and  receives  as  it  were  an  understanding  of  truth  and 
a  will  of  good ;  but  his  having  these  is  only  an  appearance. 
Every  man  can  be  perfected — and  consequently  receive  this 
gift  of  the  Lord's  mercy — in  accordance  with  the  actual  doings 
of  his  life,  and  in  a  manner  suited  to  the  hereditary  evil  im- 
planted by  his  parents. 

634.  But  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  say,  in  a  manner  to  be 
apprehended,  what  is  the  understanding  of  truth  and  the  will 
of  good  in  the  proper  sense,  for  the  reason  that  a  man  supposes 
everything  he  thinks  to  be  of  the  understanding,  since  he  calls 
it  so ;  and  everything  that  he  desires  he  supposes  to  be  of  the 
will,  since  he  calls  it  so.    And  it  is  the  more  difficult  to  explain 
this  so  as  to  be  apprehended,  because  most  men  at  this  day  are 
also  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  what  is  of  the  understanding  is 


N.  634]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  13  279 

distinct  from  what  is  of  the  will,  for  when  they  think  any- 
thing they  say  they  will  it,  and  when  they  will  a  thing  they 
say  they  think  it.  This  is  one  cause  of  the  difficulty,  and 
another  reason  why  this  subject  can  with  difficulty  be  compre- 
hended is  that  men  are  solely  in  what  is  of  the  body,  that  is, 
their  life  is  in  the  most  external  things.  [2]  And  for  these  rea- 
sons they  do  not  know  that  there  is  in  every  man  something 
that  is  interior,  and  something  still  interior  to  that,  and  indeed 
an  inmost ;  and  that  his  corporeal  and  sensuous  part  is  only 
the  outermost.  Desires,  and  things  of  the  memory,  are  in- 
terior ;  affections  and  rational  things  are  interior  still  to  these ; 
and  the  will  of  good  and  understanding  of  truth  are  inmost. 
And  these  are  so  distinct  from  each  other  that  nothing  can  ever 
be  more  distinct.  The  corporeal  man  makes  all  these  into  a 
one,  and  confounds  them.  This  is  why  he  believes  that  when 
his  body  dies  all  things  are  to  die ;  though  in  fact  he  then  first 
begins  to  live,  and  this  by  his  interiors  following  one  another 
closely  in  their  order.  If  his  interiors  were  not  thus  distinct, 
and  did  not  thus  succeed  each  other,  men  could  never  be  in 
the  other  life  spirits,  angelic  spirits,  and  angels,  who  are  thus 
distinguished  according  to  their  interiors.  For  this  reason  there 
are  three  heavens,  most  distinct  from  each  other.  From  these 
considerations  it  may  now  in  some  measure  be  evident  what,  in 
the  proper  sense,  are  the  understanding  of  truth  and  the  will 
of  good ;  and  that  they  can  be  predicated  only  of  the  celestial 
man,  or  of  the  angels  of  the  third  heaven. 

635.  What  is  said  in  the  preceding  verse  and  in  this  signi- 
fies that  in  the  end  of  the  days  of  the  antediluvian  church  all 
understanding  of  truth  and  will  of  good  had  perished,  so  that 
among  the  antediluvians  who  were  imbued  with  dreadful  per- 
suasions and  filthy  cupidities  not'  even  a  vestige  appeared. 
But  with  those  who  are  called  "  Noah"  there  continued  to  be 
remains,  which  however  could  not  bring  forth  anything  of 
understanding  and  will,  but  only  rational  truth  and  natural 
good.  For  the  operation  of  remains  is  according  to  the  nature 
of  the  man.  Through  remains  these  people  could  be  regener- 
ated ;  and  persuasions  did  not  obstruct  and  absorb  the  Lord's 
operation  through  remains.  Persuasions,  or  principles  of 
falsity,  when  rooted  in  impede  all  operation ;  and  unless  these 


280  GENESIS  [N.  635 

are  first  eradicated  the  man  can  never  be  regenerated,  concern- 
ing which  subject,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 

636.  I  will  destroy  them  with  the  earth.    That  this  signifies 
that  together  with  the  church  the  human  race  would  perish,  is 
evident  from  its  being  said  "  with  the  earth ;"  for  the  "  earth" 
in  a  wide  sense  signifies  love,  as  before  said,  and  thus  the 
celestial  of   the   church.     Here,  since  no  love   and   nothing 
whatever  that  is  celestial  remained,  the  "earth"  signifies  the 
love  of  self,  and  whatever  is  contrary  to  the  celestial  of  the 
church.    And  yet  there  was  a  man  of  the  church,  for  they  had 
doctrinal  things  of  faith.     For,  as  before  stated,  the  earth  is 
the  containant  of  the  ground,  and  the  ground  is  the  containant 
of  the  field ;  as  love  is  the  containant  of  faith,  and  faith  is 
the  containant  of  the  knowledges  of  faith. 

637.  That  "I  will  destroy  them  with  the  earth"  signifies 
that  together  with  the  church  the  human  race  would  perish, 
is  on  this  account :    If  the  Lord's  church  should  be  entirely 
extinguished  on  the  earth,  the  human  race  could  by  no  means 
exist,  but  one  and  all  would  perish.     The  church,  as  before 
said,  is  as  the  heart :    so  long  as  the  heart  lives,  the  neighbor- 
ing viscera  and  members  can  live ;  but  as  soon  as  the  heart 
dies,  they  one  and  all  die  also.     The  Lord's  church  on  earth 
is  as  the  heart,  whence  the  human  race,  even  that  part  of  it 
which  is  outside  the  church,  has  life.     The  reason  is  quite 
unknown  to  any  one,  but  in  order  that  something  of  it  may  be 
known,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  whole  human  race  on  earth 
is  as  a  body  with  its  parts,  wherein  the  church  is  as  the  heart ; 
and  that  unless  there  were  a  church  with  which  as  with  a 
heart  the  Lord  might  be  united  through  heaven  and  the  world 
of  spirits,  there  would  be  disjunction  ;  and  if  there  were  dis- 
junction of  the  human  race  from  the  Lord,  it  would  instantly 
perish.     This  is  the  reason  why  from  the  first  creation  of  man 
there  has  always  been  some  church,  and  whenever  the  church 
has  begun  to  perish  it  has  yet  remained  with  some.     [2]  This 
was  also  the  reason  of  the  Lord's  coming  into  the  world.     If 
in  His  Divine  mercy  He  had  not  come,  the  whole  human  race 
on  this  earth  would  have  perished,  for  the  church  was  then  at 
its  last  extremity,  and  there  was  scarcely  any  good  and  truth 
surviving.     The  reason  why  the  human  race  cannot  live  unless 


N.  637]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.   13  281 

it  is  conjoined  with  the  Lord  through  heaven  and  the  world  of 
spirits,  is  that  in  himself  regarded  man  is  much  viler  than  the 
brutes.  If  left  to  himself  he  would  rush  into  the  ruin  of  himself 
and  of  all  things  ;  for  he  desires  nothing  else  than  what  would 
be  for  the  destruction  of  himself  and  of  all.  His  order  should 
be,  that  one  should  love  another  as  himself ;  but  now  every 
one  loves  himself  more  than  others,  and  thus  hates  all  others. 
But  with  brute  animals  the  case  is  quite  different :  their  order 
is  that  according  to  which  they  live.  Thus  they  live  quite  ac- 
cording to  the  order  in  which  they  are,  and  man  entirely  con- 
trary to  his  order.  Therefore  unless  the  Lord  should  have  com- 
passion on  him,  and  conjoin  him  with  Himself  through  angels, 
he  could  not  live  a  single  moment ;  but  this  he  does  not  know. 

638.  Verse  14.  Make  thee  an  ark  of  gopher  woods,  mansions 
shalt  thou  make  the  ark,  and  shalt  pitch  it  within  and  without 
with  pitch.    By  the  "ark"  is  signified  the  man  of  that  "church; 
by  "  gopher  wood"  his  concupiscences ;  by  the  "  mansions"  are 
signified  the  two  parts  of  the  man,  which  are  the  will  and  the 
understanding ;  by  "  pitching  it  within  and  without"  is  signi- 
fied his  preservation  from  an  inundation  of  cupidities. 

639.  That  by  the  "  ark"  is  signified  the  man  of  that  church, 
or  the  church  called  "  Noah,"  is  sufficiently  evident  from  the 
description  of  it  in  the  following  verses ;  and  from  the  fact 
that  the  Lord's  Word  everywhere  involves  spiritual  and  celes- 
tial things ;  that  is,  that  the  Word  is  spiritual  and  celestial. 
If  the  ark  with  its  coating  of  pitch,  its  measurement,  and  its 
construction,  and  the  flood  also,  signified  nothing  more  than 
the  letter  expresses,  there  would  be  nothing  at  all  spiritual  and 
celestial  in  the  account  of  it,  but  only  something  historical, 
which  would  be  of  no  more  use  to  the  human  race  than  any 
similar  thing  described  by  secular  writers.     But  because  the 
Word  of  the  Lord  everywhere  in  its  bosom  or  interiors   in- 
volves and  contains  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  it  is  very 
evident  that  by  the  ark  and  all  the  things  said  about  the  ark, 
are  signified  hidden  things  not  yet  revealed.     [2]    It  is  the 
same  in  other  places,  as  in  the  case  of  the  little  ark  in  which 
Moses  was  concealed,  which  was  placed  among  the  sedge  by 
the  river  side  (Exod.  ii.  3)  ;  and  to  take  a  more  lofty  instance, 
it  was  the  same  with  the  holy  ark  in  the  wilderness,  that  was 


282  GENESIS  [N.  639 

made  after  the  pattern  shown  to  Moses  on  Mount  Sinai.  If 
each  and  all  things  in  this  ark  had  not  been  representative  of 
the  Lord  and  His  kingdom,  it  would  have  been  nothing  else 
than  a  sort  of  idol,  and  the  worship  idolatrous.  In  like  man- 
ner the  temple  of  Solomon  was  not  holy  at  all  of  itself,  or  on 
account  of  the  gold,  silver,  cedar,  and  stone  in  it,  but  on  ac- 
count of  all  the  things  which  these  represented.  And  so 
here — if  the  ark  and  its  construction,  with  its  several  particu- 
lars, did  not  signify  some  hidden  thing  of  the  church,  the 
Word  would  not  be  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  but  a  kind  of  dead 
letter,  as  in  the  case  of  any  profane  writer.  Therefore  it  is 
evident  that  the  ark  signifies  the  man  of  the  church,  or  the 
church  called  "  Noah." 

640.  That  by  "  gopher  woods"  are  signified  concupiscences, 
and  by  the  "  mansions"  the  two  parts  of  this  man,  which  are 
the  wilT  and  the  understanding,  no  one  has  hitherto  known. 
Nor  can  any  one  know  how  these  things  are  signified,  unless 
he  is  first  told  how  the  case  was  with  that  church.     The  Most 
Ancient  Church,  as  has  often  been  said,  knew  from  love  what- 
ever was  of  faith ;  or  what  is  the  same,  from  a  will  of  good 
had  understanding  of  truth.     But  their  posterity  received  also 
by  inheritance  that  cupidities,  which  are  of  the  will,  ruled  over 
them,  in  which  they  immersed  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith,  and 
thus  became  "Nephilim."    When  therefore  the  Lord  foresaw 
that  if  man  continued  to  be  of  such  a  nature  he  would  perish 
eternally,  He  provided  that  the  will  should  be  separated  from 
the  understanding,  and  that  man  should  be  formed,  not  as  be- 
fore by  a  will  of  good,  but  through  an  understanding  of  truth 
should  be  endowed  with  charity,  which  appears  as  a  will  of 
good.      Such   did   this   new   church   become  which  is  called 
"  Noah,"  and  thus  it  was  of  an  entirely  different  nature  from 
the  Most  Ancient  Church.     Besides  this  church,  there  were 
other   churches   also  at   that   time,  as  that  which   is    called 
"  Enosh"  (see  chapter  iv.  26),  and  others  also  of  which  no  such 
mention  and  description  is  extant.     Only  this  church  "  Noah" 
is  here  described,  because  it  was  of  another  and  entirely  dif- 
ferent nature  from  the  Most  Ancient  Church. 

641.  As  this  man  of  the  church  must  be  reformed  as  to 
that  part  of  man  which  is  called  the  understanding,  before  he 


N.  641]  CHAPTER    VI.   VER.   14  283 

could  be  reformed  as  to  the  other  part  which  is  called  the  will, 
it  is  here  described  how  the  things  of  the  will  were  separated 
from  those  of  the  understanding,  and  were  as  it  were  covered 
over  and  reserved,  lest  anything  should  touch  the  will.  For 
if  things  of  the  will,  that  is  of  cupidity,  had  been  excited,  the 
man  would  have  perished,  as  will  appear,  of  the  Lord's  Divine 
mercy,  hereafter.  These  two  parts — the  will  and  the  under- 
standing— are  so  distinct  in  man  that  nothing  could  be  more 
distinct,  as  has  been  given  me  also  to  know  with  certainty 
from  the  fact  that  things  of  the  understanding  of  spirits  and 
angels  flow  into  the  left  part  of  the  head  or  brain,  and  things 
of  the  will  into  the  right ;  and  it  is  the  same  with  respect  to 
the  face.  When  angelic  spirits  flow  in,  they  do  so  gently  like 
the  softest  breaths  of  air ;  but  when  evil  spirits  flow  in,  it  is 
like  an  inundation  into  the  left  part  of  the  brain  with  dread- 
ful phantasies  and  persuasions,  and  into  the  right  with  cupidi- 
ties, their  influx  being  as  it  were  an  inundation  of  phantasies 
and  cupidities. 

642.  From  all  this  it  is  evident  what  this  first  description 
of  the  ark  involves,  with  its  construction  of  gopher  wood,  its 
mansions,  and  its  coating   within   and   without   with   pitch, 
namely,  that  one  part,  that  of  the  will,  was  preserved  from 
inundation ;  and  only  that  part  opened  which  is  of  the  under- 
standing, and  is  described,  in  verse   16,  by  the  window,  the 
door,  and  the  lowest,  second,  and  third  stories.     These  things 
are  not  easily  believed,  because  hitherto  no  one  has  had  any 
idea  of  them.    And  yet  they  are  most  true.    But  these  are  the 
least  and  most  general  of  the  hidden  meanings  which  man  is 
ignorant  of.     If  the  individual  particulars  were  told  him,  he 
could  not  apprehend  even  one  of  them. 

643.  But  as  regards  the  signification  itself  of  the  words : 
that  "gopher  wood"  signifies  concupiscences,  and  the  "man- 
sions"  the   two   parts   of   man,   is   evident   from  the  Word. 
Gopher  wood  is  a  wood  abounding  in  sulphur,*  like  the  fir, 
and  others  of  its  kind.     On  account  of  its  sulphur  it  is  said 

*  The  word  "  sulphur"  was  formerly  used  not  exclusively  as  the  name  of  brim- 
stone, but  also  as  a  general  term  for  inflammable  substance.  The  classification  of 
gopher  here  with  the  fir  (abies),  which  is  a  turpentine  tree,  would  seem  to  imply 
that  the  inflammable  constituent  of  the  gopher  also  was  turpentine,  and  that  this 
is  what  is  meant  here  by  "  sulphur."  See  Lord  Bacon's  "  History  of  Sulphur,  Mer- 
cury, and  Salt."  [Note  in  the  Rotch  edition.} 


284  GENESIS  [N.  643 

that  it  signifies  concupiscences,  because  it  easily  takes  fire. 
The  most  ancient  people  compared  things  in  man  (and  re- 
garded them  as  having  a  likeness)  to  gold,  silver,  brass,  iron, 
stone,  and  wood — his  inmost  celestial  to  gold,  his  lower  celes- 
tial to  brass,  and  what  was  lowest,  or  the  corporeal  therefrom, 
to  wood.  But  his  inmost  spiritual  they  compared  (and  regarded 
as  having  a  likeness)  to  silver,  his  lower  spiritual  to  iron,  and 
his  lowest  to  stone.  And  such  in  the  internal  sense  is  the  sig- 
nification of  these  things  when  they  are  mentioned  in  the 
Word,  as  in  Isaiah  : — 

For  brass  I  will  bring  gold,  and  for  iron  I  will  bring  silver,  and  for 
wood  brass,  and  for  stones  iron  ;  I  will  also  make  thine  officers  peace, 
and  thine  exactors  righteousness  (Ix.  17). 

Here  the  Lord's  kingdom  is  treated  of,  in  which  there  are  not 
such  metals,  but  spiritual  and  celestial  things ;  and  that  these 
are  signified  is  very  evident  from  the  mention  of  "  peace"  and 
"  righteousness."  "  Gold,"  "  brass,"  and  "  wood"  here  corre- 
spond to  each  other,  and  signify  things  celestial  or  of  the 
will,  as  before  said ;  and  "  silver,"  "  iron,"  and  "  stone"  corre- 
spond to  each  other,  and  signify  things  spiritual  or  of  the 
understanding.  [2]  In  Ezekiel : — 

They  shall  make  a  spoil  of  thy  riches  and  make  a  prey  of  thy  mer- 
chandise ;  thy  stones,  and  thy  wood  (xxvi.  12). 

It  is  very  manifest  that  by  "  riches"  and  "  merchandise"  are 
not  meant  worldly  riches  and  merchandise,  but  celestial  and 
spiritual ;  and  the  same  by  the  "  stones"  and  "  wood" — the 
"  stones"  being  those  things  which  are  of  the  understanding, 
and  the  "  wood"  those  which  are  of  the  will.  In  Habakkuk : — 

The  stone  crieth  out  of  the  wall,  and  the  beam  out  of  the  wood 
answereth  (ii.  11). 

The  "  stone"  denotes  the  lowest  degree  of  the  understanding ; 
and  the  "  wood"  the  lowest  of  the  will,  which  "  answers"  when 
anything  is  drawn  from  sensuous  knowledge  (scientifico  sen- 
suali).  Again : — 

Woe  unto  htm  that  saith  to  the  wood,  Awake  ;  and  to  the  dumb  stone, 
Arise,  this  shall  teach.  Behold  it  is  fastened  with  gold  and  silver,  and 
there  is  no  breath  in  the  midst  of  it.  But  Jehovah  is  in  the  temple  of 
His  holiness  (ii.  19,  20). 


N.  043]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  14  285 

Here  also  "  wood"  denotes  cupidity  ;  "  stone"  denotes  the  low- 
est of  the  understanding,  and  therefore  to  be  "dumb"  and 
to  "  teach"  axe  predicated  of  it ;  "  there  is  no  breath  in  the 
midst  of  it,"  signifies  that  it  represents  nothing  celestial  and 
spiritual,  just  as  a  temple  wherein  are  stone  and  wood,  and 
these  bound  together  with  gold  and  silver,  is  to  those  who 
think  nothing  of  what  they  represent.  [3]  In  Jeremiah  : — 

We  drink  our  waters  for  silver ;  our  wood  coineth  for  price  (Lam. 
v.  4). 

Here  "  waters"  and  "  silver"  signify  the  things  of  the  under- 
standing ;  and  "  wood"  those  of  the  will.  Again  : — 

Saying  to  wood,  Thou  art  my  father ;  and  to  the  stone,  Thou  hast 
brought  us  forth  (Jer.  ii.  27). 

Here  "  wood"  denotes  cupidity,  which  is  of  the  will,  whence  is 
the  conception ;  and  "  stone"  the  sensuous  knowledge  (scientifico 
sensuali),  from  which  is  the  "  bringing  forth."  Hence,  in  dif- 
ferent places  in  the  Prophets,  "  serving  wood  and  stone"  is  put 
for  worshiping  graven  images  of  wood  and  stone,  by  which  is 
signified  that  they  served  cupidities  and  phantasies ;  and  also 
"  committing  adultery  with  wood  and  stone,"  as  in  Jeremiah 
(iii.  9).  In  Hosea  : — 

My  people  inquire  of  their  wood,  and  the  staff  thereof  declareth  unto 
them  ;  because  the  spirit  of  whoredoms  hath  led  them  away  (iv.  12), 

meaning  that  they  make  inquiry  of  graven  images  of  wood,  or 
of  cupidities.  [4]  In  Isaiah : — 

Topheth  is  prepared  from  yesterday,  the  pile  thereof  is  fire  and  much 
wood,  the  breath  of  Jehovah  is  like  a  stream  of  burning  sulphur  (xxx.  33). 

Here  "  fire,"  "  sulphur,"  and  "  wood"  stand  for  foul  cupidities. 
In  general,  "  wood"  signifies  the  things  of  the  will  which  are 
lowest;  the  precious  woods,  such  as  cedar  and  the  like,  those 
which  are  good,  as  for  example  the  cedar  wood  in  the  temple, 
and  the  cedar  wood  employed  in  the  cleansing  of  leprosy 
(Lev.  xiv.  4,  6,  7),  also  the  wood  cast  into  the  bitter  waters  at 
Marah,  whereby  the  waters  became  sweet  (Exod.  xv.  25),  con- 
cerning which,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  in  those  places. 
But  woods  that  were  not  precious,  and  those  which  were  made 


286  GENESIS  [N.  643 

into  graven  images,  as  well  as  those  used  for  funeral  piles  and 
the  like,  signify  cupidities ;  as  in  this  place  does  the  gopher 
wood,  on  account  of  its  sulphur.  So  in  Isaiah : — 

The  day  of  vengeance  of  Jehovah  ;  the  streams  thereof  shall  be  turned 
into  pitch,  and  the  dust  thereof  into  sulphur,  and  the  land  thereof  shall 
become  burning  pitch  (xxxiv.  9). 

"  Pitch"  stands  for  dreadful  phantasies ;  "  sulphur"  for  abom- 
inable cupidities. 

644.  That  by  the  "  mansions"  are  signified  the  two  parts  of 
man,  which  are  the  will  and  the  understanding,  is  evident  from 
what  has  been  stated  before  :  that  these  two  parts,  the  will  and 
the  understanding,  are  most  distinct  from  each  other,  and  that 
for  this  reason,  as  before  said,  the  human  brain  is  divided  into 
two  parts,  called  hemispheres.  To  its  left  hemisphere  pertain  the 
intellectual  faculties,  and  to  the  right  those  of  the  will.     This 
is  the  most  general  distinction.    Besides  this,  both  the  will  and 
the  understanding  are  distinguished  into  innumerable  parts,  for 
so  many  are  the  divisions  of  the  intellectual  things  of  man,  and 
so  many  those  of  the  will,  that  they  can  never  be  described  or 
enumerated  even  as  to  the  universal  genera,  still  less  as  to  their 
species.    A  man  is  a  kind  of  least  heaven,  corresponding  to  the 
world  of  spirits  and  to  heaven,  wherein  all  the  genera  and  all 
the  species  of  the  things  of  the  understanding  and  of  the  will  are 
distinguished  by  the  Lord  in  the  most  perfect  order,  so  that  not 
even  the  least  of  them  is  undistinguished,  concerning  which, 
of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter.     In  heaven  these  divi- 
sions are  called  Societies,  in  the  Word  "habitations,"  and  by 
the  Lord  "  mansions"  (John  xiv.  2).     Here  also  they  are  called 
"mansions,"  because  they  are  predicated  of   the  ark,  which 
signifies  the  man  of  the  church. 

645.  That  to  "pitch  it  within  and  without  with  pitch," 
signifies  preservation  from  an  inundation  of  cupidities,  is  evi- 
dent from  what  has  been  said  before.     For  the  man  of  this 
church  was  first  to  be  reformed  as  to  the  things  of  his  under- 
standing, and  therefore  he  was  preserved  from  an  inundation 
of  cupidities,  which  would  destroy  all  the  work  of  reformation. 
In  the  original  text  it  is  not  indeed  said  that  it  was  to  be 
"  pitched  with  pitch,"  but  a  word  is  used  which  denotes  "  pro- 


N.  645]  CHAPTER    VI.  'VER.   14  287 

tection,"  derived  from  "  expiate"  or  "  propitiate,"  and  therefore 
it  involves  the  same.  The  expiation  or  propitiation  of  the  Lord 
is  protection  from  the  inundation  of  evil. 

646.  Verse  15.  And  thus  shalt  thou  make  it :  three  hundred 
cubits  the  length  of  the  ark,  fifty  cubits  its  breadth,  and  thirty 
cubits  its  height.     By  the  numbers  here  as  before  are  signified 
remains,  that  they  were  few;  the  "length"  is  their  holiness, 
the  "  breadth"  their  truth,  and  the  "  height"  their  good. 

647.  That  these  particulars  have  such  a  signification,  as  that 
the  numbers  "  three  hundred,"  "  fifty,"  and  "  thirty"  signify 
remains,  and  that  they  are  few ;  and  that  "  length,"  "  breadth," 
and  "height"  signify  holiness,  truth,  and  good,  cannot  but 
appear  strange  to  every  one,  and  very  remote  from  the  letter. 
But  in  addition  to  what  was  said  and  shown  above  concerning 
numbers   (at  verse  3  of  this  chapter,  that  a  "hundred  and 
twenty"  there  signify  remains  of  faith),  it  may  be  evident  to 
every  one  also  from  the  fact  that  they  who  are  in  the  internal 
sense,  as  are  good  spirits  and  angels,  are  beyond  all  such  things 
as  are  earthly,  corporeal,  and  merely  of  the  world,  and  thus  are 
beyond  all  matters  of  number  and  measure,  and  yet  it  is  given 
them  by  the  Lord  to  perceive  the  Word  fully,  and  this  entirely 
apart  from  such  things.    And  this  being  tmie,  it  may  therefore 
be  very  evident  that  these  particulars  involve  things  celestial 
and  spiritual  which  are  so  remote  from  the  sense  of  the  letter 
that  it  cannot  even  appear  that  there  are  such  things.     Such 
are  celestial  and  spiritual  things  both  in  general  and  in  particu- 
lar.   And  from  this  a  man  may  know  how  insane  it  is  to  desire 
to  search  into  those  things  which  are  matters  of   faith,  by 
means  of  the  things  of   sense  and  knowledge   (sensualia  et 
scientificd)  •  and  to  be  unwilling  to  believe  unless  he  appre- 
hends them  in  this  way. 

648.  That  in  the  Word  numbers  and  measures  signify  things 
celestial  and  spiritual,  is  very  evident  from  the  measurement  of 
the  New  Jerusalem  and  of  the  Temple,  in  John,  and  in  Ezekiel. 
Any  one  may  see  that  by  the  "  New  Jerusalem"  and  the  "  new 
Temple"  is  signified  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  in  the  heavens 
and  on  earth,  and  that  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  in  the  heavens 
and  on  earth  is  not  subject  to  earthly  measurement ;  and  yet  its 
dimensions  as  to  length,  breadth,  and  height  are  designated  by 


288  GENESIS  [N.  648 

numbers.  From  this  any  one  may  conclude  that  by  the  num- 
bers and  measures  are  signified  holy  things,  as  in  John : — 

There  was  given  me  a  reed  like  unto  a  rod  ;  and  the  angel  stood,  and 
said  unto  me,  Rise,  and  measure  the  temple  of  God,  and  the  altar,  and 
them  that  worship  therein  (Rev.  xi.  1). 

And  concerning  the  New  Jerusalem : — 

The  wall  of  the  New  Jerusalem  was  great  and  high,  having  twelve 
gates,  and  over  the  gates  twelve  angels,  and  names  written,  which  are  the 
names  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  the  sons  of  Israel ;  on  the  east  three  gates, 
on  the  north  three  gates,  on  the  south  three  gates,  on  the  west  three 
gates.  The  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve  foundations,  and  in  them  the 
names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the  Lamb.  He  that  talked  with  me  had 
a  golden  reed,  to  measure  the  city,  and  the  gates  thereof,  and  the  wall 
thereof.  The  city  lieth  four  square,  and  the  length  thereof  is  as  great  as 
the  breadth.  And  he  measured  the  city  with  the  reed,  twelve  thousand 
furlongs ;  the  length  and  the  breadth  and  the  height  thereof  are  equal. 
He  measured  the  wall  thereof,  a  hundred  and  forty  and  four  cubits, 
which  is  the  measure  of  a  man,  that  is,  of  an  angel  (Eev.  xxi.  12-17). 

[2]  The  number  "  twelve"  occurs  here  throughout,  which  is  a 
very  holy  number  because  it  signifies  the  holy  things  of  faith 
(as  said  above,  at  verse  3  of  this  chapter,  and  as  will  be  shown, 
of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy,  at  the  twenty-ninth  and  thirtieth 
chapters  of  Genesis).  And  therefore  it  is  added  that  this 
measure  is  the  "  measure  of  a  man,  that  is,  of  an  angel."  It  is 
the  same  with  the  new  Temple  and  new  Jerusalem  in  Ezeldel, 
which  are  also  described  as  to  their  measures  (xl.  3,  5,  7,  9, 11, 
13,  14,  22,  25,  30,  36,  42,  47 ;  xli.  1  to  the  end ;  xlii.  5-15 ; 
Zech.  ii.  1,  2).  Here  too  regarded  in  themselves  the  numbers 
signify  nothing  but  the  holy  celestial  and  spiritual  abstractedly 
from  the  numbers.  So  with  all  the  numbers  of  the  dimensions 
of  the  ark  (Exod.  xxv.  10)  ;  of  the  mercy  seat ;  of  the  golden 
table ;  of  the  tabernacle ;  and  of  the  altar  (Exod.  xxv.  10,  17, 
23 ;  xxvi.,  and  xxvii.  1) ;  and  all  the  numbers  and  dimensions 
of  the  temple  (1  Kings  vi.  2,  3),  and  many  others. 

649.  But  here  the  numbers  or  measures  of  the  ark  signify 
nothing  else  than  the  remains  which  were  with  the  man  of  this 
church  when  he  was  being  reformed,  and  that  they  were  but 
few.  This  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  in  these  numbers  five 
predominates,  which  in  the  Word  signifies  some  or  a  little,  as 
in  Isaiah : — 


N.  649]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.   15  289 

There  shall  be  left  therein  gleanings,  as  the  shaking  of  an  olive-tree, 
two  or  three  berries  in  the  top  of  the  uppermost  bough,  four  or  five  in  the 
branches  of  a  fruitful  one  (xvii.  6), 

where  "  two  or  three"  and  "  five"  denote  a  few.     Again : — 

One  thousand  at  the  rebuke  of  one  ;  at  the  rebuke  of  five  shall  ye  flee  ; 
until  ye  be  left  as  a  pole  upon  the  top  of  a  mountain  (xxx.  17), 

where  also  "five"  denotes  a  few.  So  too  the  least  fine,  after 
restitution,  was  a  "  fifth  part"  (Lev.  v.  16 ;  vi.  5 ;  xxii.  14 ; 
Num.  v.  7).  And  the  least  addition  when  they  redeemed  a 
beast,  a  house,  a  field,  or  the  tithes,  was  a  "  fifth  part"  (Lev. 
xxvii.  13,  15,  19,  31). 

650.  That  "length"  signifies  the  holiness,  "breadth"  the 
truth,  and  "  height"  the  good  of  whatever  things  are  described 
by  the  numbers,  cannot  so  well  be  confirmed  from  the  Word, 
because  they  are  each  and  all  predicated  according  to  the  sub- 
ject or  thing  treated  of.     Thus  "  length"  as  applied  to  time 
signifies  perpetuity  and  eternity,  as  "length  of  days"  in  Ps. 
xxiii.  6,  and  xxi.  4 ;  but  as  applied  to  space  it  denotes  holiness, 
as  follows  therefrom.    And  the  same  is  the  case  with  "  breadth" 
and  "  height."   There  is  a  trinal  dimension  of  all  earthly  things, 
but  such  dimensions  cannot  be  predicated  of  celestial  and  spirit- 
ual things.     When  they  are  predicated,  greater  or  less  perfec- 
tion is  meant,  apart  from  the  dimensions,  and  also  the  quality 
and  quantity  ;  thus  here  the  quality,  that  they  were  remains ; 
and  the  quantity,  that  they  were  few. 

651.  Verse  16.  A  window  shalt  thou  make  to  the  ark,  and 
to  a  cubit  shalt  thou  finish  it  from  above  ;  and  the  door  of  the 
ark  shalt  thou  set  in  the  side  thereof ;  with  lowest,  second,  and 
third  stories  shalt  thou  make  it.      By  the  "window"  which 
was  to  be  finished  "to  a  cubit  from  above,"  is  signified  the 
intellectual  part ;  by  the  "  door  at  the  side,"  is  signified  hear- 
ing ;  by  the  "  lowest,  second,  and  third  stories,"  are  signified 
the   things  of   knowledge,  of   reason,  and   of   understanding 
(scientiftca,  rationalia,  et  intellectualid). 

652.  That  the  "  window"  signifies  the  intellectual  part,  and 
the  "  door''  hearing,  and  thus  that  in  this  verse  the  intellectual 
part  of  man  is  treated  of,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  stated 
before :    that  the  man  of  that  church  was   reformed  in  this 
way      There  are  two  lives  in  man ;    one  is  of   the  will,  the 

VOL.  I— 19 


290  GENESIS  [N.  652 

other  of  the  understanding.  They  become  two  lives  when 
there  is  no  will,  but  cupidity  in  place  of  a  will.  Then  it  is 
the  other  or  intellectual  part  that  can  be  reformed ;  and  after- 
wards through  this  a  new  will  can  be  given,  so  that  the  two 
may  still  constitute  one  life,  namely,  charity  and  faith.  Be- 
cause man  was  now  such  that  he  had  no  will,  but  mere  cupidity 
in  place  of  it,  the  part  which  belongs  to  the  will  was  closed — 
as  stated  at  verse  14 — and  the  other  or  intellectual  part  was 
opened ;  which  is  the  subject  treated  of  in  this  verse. 

653.  The  case  is  this :    When  a  man  is  being   reformed, 
which  is  effected  by  combats  and  temptations,  such  evil  spirits 
are  associated  with  him  as  excite  nothing  but  his  things  of 
knowledge  and  reason  (scientifica  ejus  et  rationalia)  ;  and  spirits 
that  excite  cupidities  are  kept  entirely  away  from  him.     For 
there  are  two  kinds  of  evil  spirits,  those  who  act  upon  man's 
reasonings,  and  those  who  act  upon  his  cupidities.     The  evil 
spirits  who  excite  a  man's  reasonings  bring  forth  all  his  falsi- 
ties, and  endeavor  to  persuade  him  that  they  are  true,  and 
even  turn   truths    into   falsities.     A  man  must  fight  against 
these  when  he  is  in  temptation ;  but  it  is  really  the  Lord  who 
fights,  through  the  angels  who  are  adjoined  to  the  man.    As  soon 
as  the  falsities  are  separated,  and  as  it  were  dispersed,  by  these 
combats,  the  man  is  prepared  to  receive  the  truths  of  faith. 
For  so  long  as  falsities  prevail,  a  man  never  can  receive  the 
truths  of  faith,  because  the  principles  of  falsity  stand  in  the 
way.    When  he  has  thus  been  prepared  to  receive  the  truths  of 
faith,  then  for  the  first  time  can  celestial  seeds  be  implanted 
in  him,  which  are  the  seeds  of  charity.     The  seeds  of  charity 
can  never  be  implanted  in  ground  where  falsities  reign,  but 
only  where  truths  reign.     Thus  is  it  with  the  reformation  or 
regeneration  of  the  spiritual  man,  and  so  it  was  with  the  man 
of  this  church  which  is  called  "  Noah."     Hence  it  is  that  here 
the  "  window"  and  "  door"  of  the  ark  are  spoken  of,  and  its 
"lowest,  second,  and  third  stories,"  which  all  pertain  to  the 
spiritual  or  intellectual  man. 

654.  This  agrees  with  what  is  at  this  day  known  in  the 
churches :   that  faith  comes  by  hearing.     But  faith  is  by  no 
means  the  knowledge  (cognitio)  of  the  things  that  are  of  faith, 
or  that  are  to  be  believed.     This  is  only  memory-knowledge 


N.  054]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.   16  291 

(scientia)  ;  whereas  faith  is  acknowledgment.  There  can  how- 
ever be  no  acknowledgment  with  any  one  unless  the  principal 
of  faith  is  in  him,  which  is  charity,  that  is,  love  toward  the 
neighbor  and  mercy.  When  there  is  charity,  then  there  is  ac- 
knowledgment, or  faith.  He  who  apprehends  otherwise  is  as 
far  away  from  a  knowledge  of  faith  as  earth  is  from  heaven. 
When  charity  is  present,  which  is  the  goodness  of  faith,  then 
acknowledgment  is  present,  which  is  the  truth  of  faith.  When 
therefore  a  man  is  being  regenerated  according  to  the  things 
of  knowledge,  of  reason,  and  of  understanding,  it  is  to  the 
end  that  the  ground  may  be  prepared — that  is,  his  mind — for 
receiving  charity;  from  which,  or  from  the  life  of  which,  he 
thereafter  thinks  and  acts.  Then  he  is  reformed  or  regen- 
erated, and  not  before. 

655.  That  the  "window"  which  was  to  be  "made  perfect 
to  a  cubit  from  above"  signifies  the  intellectual  part,  any  one 
may  see  from  what  has  now  been  said ;  and  also  from  the  fact 
that  when  the  construction  of  the  ark  is  being  treated  of,  and 
by  the  "  ark"  is  signified  the  man  of  the  church,  the  intellec- 
tual part  cannot  be  otherwise  compared  than  to  a  "  window 
from  above."  And  so  in  other  parts  of  the  Word :  the  intellec- 
tual part  of  man,  that  is,  his  internal  sight,  whether  it  be 
reason,  or  mere  reasoning,  is  called  a  "  window."  Thus  in 
Isaiah : — 

O  thou  afflicted,  tossed  with  tempest  and  not  comforted,  I  will  make 
thy  suns  (windows)  of  rubies,  and  thy  gates  of  carbuncles,  and  all  thy 
border  of  pleasant  stones  (liv.  11,  12). 

Here  "suns"  are  put  for  "windows,"  from  the  light  that  is 
admitted,  or  transmitted.  The  "  suns"  or  "  windows"  in  this 
passage  are  intellectual  things  that  come  from  charity,  and 
therefore  they  are  likened  to  a  "  ruby ;"  the  "  gates"  are 
rational  things  thence  derived;  and  the  "border"  is  that 
which  is  of  knowledge  and  the  senses  (scientificum  et  sensuale). 
The  Lord's  church  is  here  treated  of.  [2]  All  the  windows  of 
the  temple  at  Jerusalem  represented  the  same  :  the  highest 
of  them  the  intellectual  things ;  the  middle,  rational  things ; 
and  the  lowest,  the  things  of  knowledge  and  the  senses ;  for 
there  were  three  stories  (1  Kings  4,  6,  8).  Likewise  the  win- 


292  GENESIS  [N.  655 

dows  of  the  new  Jerusalem  in  Ezekiel  (xl.  16,  22,  25,  33,  36). 
In  Jeremiah : — 

Death  is  come  up  into  our  windows,  it  is  entered  into  our  palaces  ;  to 
cut  off  the  little  child  from  the  street,  the  young  men  from  the  streets 
(vicis)  (ix.  21). 

Windows  of  the  middle  story  are  here  meant,  which  are  ra- 
tional things,  it  being  meant  that  they  are  extinguished ;  the 
"  little  child  in  the  street,"  is  truth  beginning.  [3]  Because 
"  windows"  signify  things  intellectual  and  rational  that  are  of 
truth,  they  signify  also  reasonings  that  are  of  falsity.  Thus 
in  the  same  Prophet : — 

Woe  unto  him  that  buildeth  his  house  in  what  is  not  righteousness, 
and  his  chambers  hi  what  is  not  judgment ;  who  saith,  I  will  build  me 
a  house  of  measures,  and  spacious  chambers,  and  he  cutteth  him  out 
windows,  and  it  is  floored  with  cedar,  and  painted  with  vermilion  (xxii. 
13,  14). 

Here  "windows"  denote  principles  of  falsity.    In  Zephaniah  :— 

Droves  of  beasts  shall  lie  down  in  the  midst  of  her,  every  wild  animal 
of  his  kind  (gentis),  both  the  cormorant  and  the  bittern  (chippod)  shall 
lodge  in  the  pomegranates  thereof  ;  a  voice  shall  sing  in  the  window  ; 
wasting  shall  be  upon  the  threshold  (ii.  14). 

This  is  said  of  Asshur  and  Nineveh ;  "  Asshur"  denotes  the 
understanding,  here  vastated ;  a  "  voice  singing  in  the  win- 
dows," reasonings  from  phantasies. 

656.  That  by  the  "  door  at  the  side"  is  signified  hearing  is 
now  therefore  evident,  and  there  is  no  need  that  it  should  be 
confirmed  by  similar  examples  from  the  Word.    For  the  ear  is 
to  the  internal  organs  of  sense  as  a  door  at  the  side  is  to  a 
window  above ;  or  what  is  the  same,  the  hearing  which  is  of 
the  ear,  is  so  to  the  intellectual  part  which  is  of  the  internal 
sensory. 

657.  That  by  the  "lowest,  second,  and  third  stories,"  are 
signified  things  of  knowledge,  of  reason,  and  of  understanding 
(scientifica,  rationalia,  et  intellectrialia),  follows  also  from  what 
has  been  shown.    There  are  three  degrees  of  things  intellectual 
in  man;  the  lowest  is  that  of  knowledge  (scientificum) ;  the 
middle  is  the  rational ;  the  highest,  the  intellectual.     These 
are  so  distinct  from  each  other  that  they  should  never  be  con- 


N.  657]  CHAPTER    VI.   VER.   16  293 

founded.  But  man  is  not  aware  of  this,  for  the  reason  that  he 
makes  life  consist  in  what  is  of  sense  and  knowledge  only ; 
and  while  he  cleaves  to  this,  he  cannot  even  know  that  his 
rational  part  is  distinct  from  that  which  is  concerned  with 
knowing  (scientlficum)  •  and  still  less  that  his  intellectual  part 
is  so.  And  yet  the  truth  is  that  the  Lord  flows  through  man's 
intellectual  into  his  rational,  and  through  his  rational  into  the 
knowledge  of  the  memory,  whence  comes  the  life  of  the  senses 
of  sight  and  of  hearing.  This  is  the  true  influx,  and  this  is  the 
true  intercourse  of  the  soul  with  the  body.  Without  influx 
of  the  Lord's  life  into  the  things  of  the  understanding  in  man 
— or  rather  into  things  of  the  will  and  through  these  into 
those  of  understanding — and  through  things  of  understanding 
into  things  rational,  and  through  things  rational  into  his  knowl- 
edges which  are  of  the  memory,  life  would  be  impossible  to  man. 
And  even  though  a  man  is  in  falsities  and  evils,  yet  there  is  an 
influx  of  the  Lord's  life  through  the  things  of  the  will  and  of 
the  understanding ;  but  the  things  that  flow  in  are  received  in 
the  rational  part  according  to  its  form ;  and  this  influx  gives 
man  the  ability  to  reason,  to  reflect,  and  to  understand  what 
truth  and  good  are.  But  concerning  these  things,  of  the  Lord's 
Divine  mercy  hereafter ;  and  also  how  the  case  is  with  the  life 
that  pertains  to  brutes. 

658.  These  three  degrees,  which  in  general  are  called  those 
of  man's  intellectual  things,  namely,  understanding,  Teason, 
and  memory-knowledge,  are  likewise  signified,  as  before  said, 
by  the  windows  of  the  three  stories  of  the  temple  at  Jerusa- 
lem (1  Kings  vi.  4,  6,  8),  and  also  as  above  by  the  rivers  which 
went  forth  out  of  the  Garden  of  Eden  in  the  east.     The  "  east" 
there  signifies  the  Lord ;  "  Eden"  love,  which  is  of  the  will ; 
the  "  garden"  intelligence  thence  derived ;  the  "  rivers"  wisdom, 
reason,  and  memory-knowledge  (concerning  which  see  what 
was  said  before,  at  chapter  ii.  verses  10  to  14). 

659.  Verse  17.  And  /,  behold  I  do  bring  the  flood  of  waters 
upon  the  earth,  to  destroy  all  flesh  ivherein  is  the  breath  of  lives 
from  under  the  heavens  ;  everything  that  is  on  thl  earth  shall 
expire.     By  the  "  flood"  is  signified  an  inundation  of  evil  and 
falsity ;  "  to  destroy  all  flesh  wherein  is  the  breath  of  lives 
from  under  the  heavens,"  signifies  that  the  whole  posterity  of 


294  GENESIS  [N.  659 

the  Most  Ancient  Church  would  destroy  themselves ;  "  every- 
thing that  is  in  the  earth  shall  expire,"  signifies  those  who 
were  of  that  church  and  had  become  such. 

660.  That  by  the  "  flood"  is  signified  an  inundation  of  evil 
and  falsity,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  stated  before  con- 
cerning the  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church :  that  they 
were  possessed  with  foul  cupidities,  and  that  they  immersed 
the  doctrinal  things  of  faith  in  them,  and  in  consequence  had 
persuasions  of  falsity  which  extinguished  all  truth  and  good, 
and  at  the  same  time  closed  up  the  way  for  remains,  so  that 
they  could  not  operate ;  and  therefore  it  could  not  be  otherwise 
than  that  they  would  destroy  themselves.     When  the  way  for 
remains  is  closed,  the  man  is  no  longer  man,  because  he  can  no 
longer  be  protected  by  angels,  but  is  totally  possessed  by  evil 
spirits,  whose  sole  study  and  desire  it  is  to  extinguish  man. 
Hence  came  the  death  of  the  antediluvians,  which  is  described 
by  a  flood,  or  total  inundation.     The  influx  of  phantasies  and 
cupidities  from  evil  spirits  is  not  unlike  a  kind  of  flood ;  and 
therefore  it  is  called  a  "  flood"  or  inundation  in  various  places 
in  the  Word,  as  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  will  be  seen  in 
what  is  premised  to  the  following  chapter. 

661.  To  destroy  all  flesh  wherein  is  the  breath  of  lives  from 
under  the  heavens.    That  this  signifies  that  the  whole  posterity 
of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  would  destroy  themselves,  is  evi- 
dent frt>m  what  is  said  above,  and  from  the  description  of 
them  given  before  :  that  they  derived  by  inheritance  from  their 
parents  in  succession  such  a  genius  that  they  more  than  others 
were  imbued  with  direful  persuasions ;  and  especially  for  the 
reason  that  they  immersed  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith  that 
they  possessed  in  their  cupidities.     It  is  otherwise  with  those 
who  have  no  doctrinal  things  of  faith,  but  live  entirely  in  igno- 
rance ;  these  cannot  so  act,  and  therefore  cannot  profane  holy 
things,  and  thereby  close  up  the  way  for  remains ;  and  conse- 
quently they  cannot  drive  away  from  themselves  the  angels  of 
the  Lord.     [2]  Remains,  as  has  been  said,  are  all  things  of  in- 
nocence, all  tarings  of  charity,  all  things  of  mercy,  and  all  things 
of  the  truth  of  faith,  which  from  his  infancy  a  man  has  had  from 
the  Lord,  and  has  learned.     Each  and  all  of  these  things  are 
treasured  up ;  and  if  a  man  had  them  not,  there  could  be  nothing 


N.  661]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  17  295 

of  innocence,  of  charity,  and  of  mercy,  and  therefore  nothing 
of  good  and  truth  in  his  thought  and  actions,  so  that  he  would 
be  worse  than  the  savage  wild  beasts.  And  it  would  be  the 
same  if  he  had  had  the  remains  of  such  things  and  had  closed 
up  the  way  by  foul  cupidities  and  direful  persuasions  of  falsity, 
so  that  they  could  not  operate.  Such  were  the  antediluvians 
who  destroyed  themselves,  and  who  are  meant  by  "all  flesh 
wherein  is  the  breath  of  lives,  under  the  heavens."  [3]  "  Flesh," 
as  before  shown,  signifies  every  man  in  general,  and  the  cor- 
poreal man  in  particular.  The  "  breath  of  lives"  signifies  all 
life  in  general,  but  properly  the  life  of  those  who  have  been 
regenerated,  consequently  in  the  present  case  the  last  posterity 
of  the  Most  Ancient  Church.  Although  there  was  no  life  of 
faith  remaining  among  them,  yet  as  they  derived  from  their 
parents  something  of  seed  therefrom  which  they  stifled,  it  is 
here  called  the  "  breath  of  lives,"  or  (as  in  chapter  vii.  22), 
"  in  whose  nostrils  was  the  breathing  of  the  breath  of  lives." 
"  Flesh  under  the  heavens,"  signifies  what  is  merely  corpo- 
real ;  the  "  heavens"  are  the  things  of  the  understanding  that 
are  of  truth  and  the  things  of  the  will  that  are  of  good,  on  the 
separation  of  which  from  the  corporeal  a  man  can  no  longer 
live.  What  sustains  man  is  his  conjunction  with  heaven,  that 
is,  through  heaven  with  the  Lord. 

662.  Everything  that  is  in  the  earth  shall  expire.  This  sig- 
nifies those  who  were  of  that  church  and  had  become  of  this 
quality.  It  has  been  shown  before  that  the  "  earth"  does  not 
mean  the  whole  world,  but  only  those  who  were  of  the  church. 
Thus  no  deluge  was  meant  here,  still  less  a  universal  deluge, 
but  the  expiring  or  suffocation  of  those  who  existed  there,  when 
they  were  separated  from  remains,  and  thereby  from  the  things 
of  the  understanding  that  are  of  truth  and  the  things  of  the 
will  that  are  of  good,  and  therefore  from  the  heavens.  That 
the  "  earth"  signifies  the  region  where  the  church  is,  and  there- 
fore those  who  live  there,  may  be  confirmed  by  the  following 
passages  from  the  Word,  in  addition  to  those  already  cited. 
In  Jeremiah : — 

Thus  hath  said  Jehovah,  The  whole  earth  shall  be  desolate  ;  yet  will 
I  not  make  a  consummation.  For  this  shall  the  earth  mourn,  and  the 
heavens  above  shall  be  black  (iv.  27,  28). 


296  GENESIS  [N.  662 

Here  the  "earth"  denotes  those  who  dwell  where  the  church 
is  that  is  vastated.  In  Isaiah : — 

I  will  move  the  heavens,  and  the  earth  shall  be  shaken  out  of  her 
place  (xiii.  13). 

The  "  earth"  denotes  the  man  who  is  to  be  vastated,  where  the 
church  is.  In  Jeremiah : — 

The  slain  of  Jehovah  shall  be  at  that  day  from  the  end  of  the  earth 
even  unto  the  end  of  the  earth  (xxv.  33). 

Here  the  "  end  of  the  earth"  does  not  signify  the  whole  world, 
but  only  the  region  where  the  church  was,  and  consequently 
the  men  who  were  of  the  church.  Again  : — 

I  will  cell  for  a  sword  upon  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  ;  a  tumult 
shall  come  even  to  the  end  of  the  earth  ;  for  Jehovah  hath  a  controversy 
wiih  the  nations  (xxv.  29,  31). 

In  this  passage,  in  like  manner,  the  whole  world  is  not  meant, 
but  only  the  region  wrhere  the  church  is,  and  therefore  the  in- 
habitant or  man  of  the  church ;  the  "  nations"  here  denote 
falsities.  In  Isaiah  : — 

Behold,  Jehovah  cometh  forth  out  of  His  place  to  visit  the  iniquity  of 
the  inhabitant  of  the  earth  (xxvi.  21). 

Here  the  meaning  is  the  same.     Again  : — 

Have  ye  not  heard  ?  hath  it  not  been  told  you  from  the  beginning  ? 
have  ye  not  understood  the  foundations  of  the  earth  ?  (xl.  21). 

Again : — 

Jehovah,  that  createth  the  heavens,  God  Himself  that  fonneth  the 
earth  and  maketh  it,  He  establisheth  it  (xlv.  18). 

The  "  earth"  denotes  the  man  of  the  church.     In  Zechariah  : — 

The  saying  of  Jehovah,  who  stretcheth  out  the  heavens,  and  layeth 
the  foundation  of  the  earth,  and  formeth  the  spirit  of  man  in  the  midst 
of  him  (xii.  1), 

where  the  "  earth"  manifestly  denotes  the  man  of  the  church. 
The  "earth"  is  distinguished  from  the  "  ground"  as  are  the  man 
of  the  church  and  the  church  itself,  or  as  are  love  and  faith. 
663.  Verse  18.  And  I  will  set  up  My  covenant  with  thee ; 
and  thou  shaft  enter  into  the  ark,  than,  and  thy  sons,  and  thy 
wife,  and  thy  sons'  wives  with  thee.  To  "  set  up  a  covenant," 
signifies  that  he  would  be  regenerated ;  that  "  he,  and  his  sons, 


N.  663)  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.   18  297 

and  his  sons'  wives,"  should  "  come  into  the  ark,"  signifies  that 
he  would  be  saved.     "  Sons"  are  truths  ;  "  wives"  are  goods. 

664.  In  the  preceding  verse  those  who  destroyed  themselves 
were  treated  of,  but  here  those  who  were  to  be  regenerated  and 
thus  saved,  who  are  called  "  Noah." 

665.  That  to  "set  up  a  covenant"  signifies  that  he  would 
be  regenerated,  is  very  evident  from  the  fact  that  there  can  be 
no  covenant  between  the  Lord  and  man  other  than  conjunction 
by  love  and  faith,  and  therefore  a  "  covenant"  signifies  con- 
junction.    For  it  is  the  heavenly  marriage  that  is  the  veriest 
covenant ;  and  the  heavenly  marriage,  or  conjunction,  does  not 
exist  except  with  those  who  are  being  regenerated ;  so  that  in 
the  widest  sense  regeneration  itself  is  signified  by  a  "  covenant." 
The  Lord  enters  into  a  covenant  with  man  when  He  regenerates 
him  ;  and  therefore  among  the  ancients  a  covenant  represented 
nothing  else.     Nothing  can  be  gathered  from  the  sense  of  the 
letter  but  that  the  covenant  with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
and  so  many  times  with  their  descendants,  was  concerned  with 
them  personally,  whereas  they  were  such  that  they  could  not 
be  regenerated ;    for  they  made  worship  consist  in  external 
things,  and  supposed  the  externals  of  worship  to  be  holy,  with- 
out internal  things  being  adjoined  to  them.     And  therefore  the 
covenants  made  with  them  were  only  representatives  of  regen- 
eration.    It  was  the  same  with  their  rites,  and  with  Abraham 
himself,  and  with  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  who  represented  the  things 
of  love  and  faith.     Likewise  the  high  priests  and  priests,  what- 
ever their  character,  even  those  that  were  wicked,  could  repre- 
sent the  heavenly  and  most  holy  priesthood.   In  representatives 
the  person  is  not  regarded,  but  the  thing  that  is  represented. 
Thus  all  the  kings  of  Israel  and  of  Judah,  even  the  worst,  rep- 
resented the  royalty  of  the  Lord ;  and  even  Pharaoh  too,  who 
set  Joseph  over  the  land  of  Egypt.     From  these  and  many 
other  considerations — concerning  which,  of  the  Lord's  Divine 
mercy  hereafter — it  is  evident   that  the  covenants  so  often 
entered  into  with  the  sons  of  Jacob  were  only  religious  rites 
that  were  representative. 

666.  That  a  "  covenant"  signifies  nothing  else  than  regenera- 
tion and  the  things  pertaining  to  regeneration,  is  evident  from 
various  passages  in  the  Word  where  the  Lord  Himself  is  called 


298  GENESIS  [N.  666 

the  "  Covenant,"  because  it  is  He  alone  who  regenerates,  and  who 
is  looked  to  by  the  regenerate  man,  and  is  the  all  in  all  of  love 
and  faith.  That  the  Lord  is  the  Covenant  itself  is  evident  in 
Isaiah : — 

I  Jehovah  have  called  thee  in  righteousness,  and  will  hold  thy  hand, 
and  will  keep  thee,  and  will  give  thee  for  a  covenant  to  the  people,  for 
a  light  of  the  nations  (xlii.  6), 

where  a  "  covenant"  denotes  the  Lord ;  "  a  light  of  the  nations" 
is  faith.  So  in  chapter  xlix.  6,  8.  In  Malachi: — 

Behold  I  send  Mine  angel,  and  the  Lord  whom  ye  seek  shall  suddenly 
come  to  His  temple,  even  the  Angel  of  the  covenant  whom  ye  desire  ; 
behold  He  cometh ;  who  may  abide  the  day  of  His  coming  ?  (iii.  1,  2), 

where  the  Lord  is  called  the  "  Angel  of  the  Covenant."  The 
sabbath  is  called  a  "  perpetual  covenant"  (Exod.  xxxi.  16),  be- 
cause it  signifies  the  Lord  Himself,  and  the  celestial  man  regen- 
erated by  Him.  [2]  Since  the  Lord  is  the  very  covenant  itself, 
it  is  evident  that  all  that  which  conjoins  man  with  the  Lord  is 
of  the  covenant — as  love  and  faith,  and  whatever  is  of  love  and 
faith — for  these  are  of  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  is  in  them ;  and 
so  the  covenant  itself  is  in  them,  where  they  are  received. 
These  have  no  existence  except  with  a  regenerated  man,  with 
whom  whatever  is  of  the  Regenerator  or  of  the  Lord  is  of  the 
covenant,  or  is  the  covenant.  As  in  Isaiah : — 

My  mercy  shall  not  depart  from  thee,  neither  shall  the  covenant  of  My 
peace  be  removed  away  (liv.  10), 

where  "  mercy"  and  the  "  covenant  of  peace"  denote  the  Lord 
and  what  belongs  to  Him.  Again  : — 

Incline  your  ear  and  come  unto  Me,  hear,  and  your  soul  shall  live,  and 
I  will  make  a  covenant  of  eternity  with  you,  the  sure  mercies  of  David  ; 
behold,  I  have  given  Him  for  a  witness  to  the  peoples,  a  leader  and  a  law- 
giver to  the  nations  (Iv.  3,  4). 

"  David"  here  denotes  the  Lord ;  the  "  covenant  of  eternity" 
is  in  those  things  and  by  those  things  which  are  of  the  Lord, 
and  these  are  meant  by  going  to  Him  and  hearing,  that  the  soul 
may  live.  [3]  In  Jeremiah  : — 

I  will  give  them  one  heart,  and  one  way,  that  they  may  fear  Me  all 
the  days,  for  good  to  them,  and  to  their  sons  after  them.  And  I  will 
make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  them,  that  I  will  not  turn  away  from 


N.  666]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.   18  299 

them,  to  do  them  good  ;  and  I  will  put  My  fear  in  their  heart  (xxxii. 
39,  40). 

This  is  said  of  those  who  are  to  be  regenerated,  and  of  things 
that  belong  to  them,  namely,  "  one  heart  and  one  way,"  that 
is,  charity  and  faith,  which  are  of  the  Lord  and  so  of  the 
covenant.  Again : — 

Behold  the  days  come,  saith  Jehovah,  that  I  will  make  a  new  covenant 
with  the  house  of  Israel  and  with  the  house  of  Judah  ;  not  according  to 
the  covenant  that  I  made  with  their  fathers,  for  they  rendered  My  cov- 
enant vain  :  but  this  is  the  covenant  that  I  will  make  with  the  house  of 
Israel  after  these  days  ;  I  will  put  My  law  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  write 
it  on  their  heart ;  and  I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  My  people 
(xxxi.  31-33). 

Here  the  meaning  of  a  "covenant"  is  clearly  explained,  that 
it  is  the  love  and  faith  in  the  Lord  which  is  with  those  who  are 
to  be  regenerated.  [4]  And  again  in  Jeremiah,  love  is  called 
the  "covenant  of  the  day,"  and  faith  the  "covenant  of  the 
night"  (xxxiii.  20).  In  Ezekiel : — 

I,  Jehovah,  will  be  their  God,  and  My  servant  David  a  prince  in  the 
midst  of  them,  and  I  will  make  with  them  a  covenant  of  peace,  and  I 
will  make  the  evil  beast  to  cease  out  of  the  land  ;  and  they  shall  dwell 
secure  in  the  wilderness,  and  sleep  hi  the  forests  (xxxiv.  24,  25). 

Here  regeneration  is  evidently  treated  of.  "  David"  denotes 
the  Lord.  Again  : — 

David  shall  be  a  prince  to  them  to  eternity  ;  I  will  make  a  covenant 
of  peace  with  them.  It  shall  be  a  covenant  of  eternity  with  them  ;  I  will 
set  My  sanctuary  in  the  midst  of  them  to  eternity  (xxxvii.  25,  26). 

Here  likewise  regeneration  is  treated  of.  "David"  and  the 
"  sanctuary"  denote  the  Lord.  And  again  : — 

I  entered  into  a  covenant  with  thee,  and  thou  wast  Mine  ;  and  I  washed 
thee  with  waters,  and  washed  away  thy  bloods  from  upon  thee,  and  I 
anointed  thee  with  oil  (xvi.  8,  9), 

where  regeneration  is  plainly  meant.     In  Hosea : — 

In  that  day  will  I  make  a  covenant  for  them  with  the  wild  beast  of  the 
field,  and  with  the  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  with  the  creeping  thing  of 
the  earth  (ii.  18), 

meaning  regeneration ;  the  "  wild  beast  of  the  field,"  denotes 
the  things  that  are  of  the  will ;  "  the  fowl  of  the  heavens," 
those  that  are  of  the  understanding.  In  David : — 


300  GENESIS  [N.  666 

He  hath  sent  redemption  unto  His  people  ;  He  hath  commanded  His 
covenant  to  eternity  (Ps.  cxi.  9), 

also  meaning  regeneration.  It  is  called  a  "  covenant"  because 
it  is  given  and  received.  [5]  But  of  those  who  are  not  regen- 
erated, or  what  is  the  same,  who  make  worship  consist  in  exter- 
nal things,  and  esteem  and  worship  themselves  and  what  they 
desire  and  think  as  if  they  were  gods,  it  is  said  that  they  render 
the  covenant  vain,  because  they  separate  themselves  from  the 
Lord.  And  in  Jeremiah : — 

They  have  forsaken  the  covenant  of  Jehovah  their  God,  and  have 
bowed  themselves  down  to  other  gods,  and  served  them  (xxii.  9). 

In  Moses : — 

He  who  should  transgress  the  covenant  by  serving  other  gods — the 
sun,  the  moon,  the  army  of  the  heavens — should  be  stoned  (Dent.  xvii. 
2,  seq.). 

The  "  sun"  denotes  the  love  of  self ;  the  "  moon"  principles 
of  falsity ;  the  "  army  of  the  heavens"  falsities  themselves. 
From  all  this  it  is  now  evident  what  the  "  ark  of  the  covenant" 
signified  wherein  was  the  "  covenant,"  or  "  testimony,"  namely, 
that  it  signified  the  Lord  Himself  ;  and  that  the  "  book  of  the 
covenant"  also  signified  the  Lord  Himself  (Exod.  xxiv.  4-7 ; 
xxxiv.  27 ;  Deut.  iv.  13,  23) ;  and  likewise  that  by  the  "  blood 
of  the  covenant"  (Exod.  xxiv.  6,  8)  was  signified  the  Lord 
Himself,  who  alone  is  the  Regenerator.  Hence  the  "  covenant" 
denotes  regeneration  itself. 

667.  Thou  shalt  enter  into  the  ark,  thoti  and  thy  sons,  and 
thy  vvife,  and  thy  sons'  wives  with  thee.     That  this  signifies 
that  he  would  be  saved,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said 
before  and  from  what  follows  :  that  he  Avas  saved  because  re- 
generated. 

668.  That "  sons"  signify  truths,  and  "  daughters"  goods,  has 
also  been  shown  before — at  chapter  v.  verse  4 — where  "  sons" 
and  "  daughters"  were  spoken  of.     But  here  it  is  "  sons"  and 
"  wives,"  because  "  wives"  are  the  goods  that  are  adjoined  to 
truths ;  for  no  truth  can  be  produced  unless  there  is  a  good  or 
delight  from  which  it  is.    In  good  and  in  delight  there  is  life ; 
but  not  in  truth,  except  that  which  it  has  from  good  and  de- 
light     From  this,  truth  is  formed  and  begotten,  and  so  is 
faith,  which  is  of  truth,  formed  and  begotten  by  love,  which 


N.  668]  CHAPTER    VI.  VER.   18  301 

is  of  good.  It  is  with  truth  exactly  as  it  is  with  light :  ex- 
cept from  the  sun  or  a  flame  there  is  no  light ;  it  is  from  this 
that  light  is  formed.  Truth  is  only  the  form  of  good ;  and 
faith  is  only  the  form  of  love.  Truth  is  formed  from  good 
according  to  the  quality  of  the  good,  and  faith  is  formed  from 
love  according  to  the  quality  of  the  love  or  charity.  This 
then  is  the  reason  why  a  "  wife"  and  "  wives"  are  mentioned, 
which  signify  goods  adjoined  to  truths.  And  hence  it  is  said 
in  the  following  verse  that  pairs  of  all  were  to  enter  into  the 
ark,  a  male  and  a  female;  for  without  goods  adjoined  to  truths 
there  is  no  regeneration. 

669.  Verse  19.  And  of  every  living  thing  of  all  flesh,  pairs 
of  all  shalt  thou  make  to  enter  into  the  ark,  to  keep  them  alive 
with  thee ;    they  shall  be  male  and  female.     By  the  "  living 
soul"  are  signified  the  things  of  the  understanding ;  by  "  all 
flesh,"  those  of  the  will ;    "  pairs  of  all  shalt  thou  make  to 
enter  into  the  ark,"  signifies  their  regeneration ;  the  "  male"  is 
truth ;  the  "  female,"  good. 

670.  That  by  the  "  living  soul"  are  signified  the  things  of 
the  understanding,  and  by  "  all  flesh"  those  of  the  will,  is  evi- 
dent from  what  has  been  said  before,  and  from  what  follows. 
By  "  living  soul"  in  the  Word  is  signified  every  living  creature 
in  general,  of  whatever  kind  (as  in  chapter  i.  verses  20-24,  and 
ii.  19) ;  but  here,  being  immediately  connected  with  "  all  flesh," 
it  signifies  the  things  which  are  of  the  understanding ;  for  the 
reason  before  advanced  that  the  man  of  this  church  was  to  be 
regenerated  first  as  to  intellectual  things.     And  therefore  in 
the  following  verse  the  "  fowl"  (which  signifies  intellectual  or 
rational  things)  is  mentioned  first,  and  afterwards  the  "  beasts," 
which  are  things  of  the  will.    "  Flesh"  specifically  signifies  that 
which  is  corporeal,  which  is  of  the  will. 

671.  Pairs  of  all  shalt  thou  make  to  enter  into  the  ark,  to 
keep  them  alive.     That  this  signifies  their  regeneration,  is  evi- 
dent from  what  has  been  said  in  connection  with  the  preceding 
verse  :  that  truths  cannot  be  regenerated  except  through  goods 
and  delights  ;  nor  therefore  the  things  of  faith,  except  through 
those  which  are  of  charity.     And  for  this  reason  it  is  said 
here  that  "  pairs"  of  all  should  enter  in,  that  is,  both  of  truths 
which  are  of  the  understanding,  and  of  goods  which  are  of 


302  GENESIS  [N.  671 

the  will.  A  man  who  is  not  regenerated  has  no  understanding 
of  truth  or  will  of  good,  but  only  what  appear  to  be  such,  and 
in  common  speech  are  so  called.  He  can  however  receive 
truths  of  reason  and  of  knowledge  (yera  rationalia  ct  scien- 
tifica),  but  they  are  not  living.  He  may  also  have  a  kind  of 
goods  of  the  will,  such  as  exist  in  the  Gentiles,  and  even  in 
brutes,  but  neither  are  these  living;  they  are  merely  analo- 
gous. Such  goods  in  man  are  not  living  until  he  is  regener- 
ated and  they  are  thus  made  alive  by  the  Lord.  In  the  other 
life  it  is  very  manifestly  perceived  what  is  not  alive  and  what 
is  alive.  Truth  that  is  not  alive  is  instantly  perceived  as 
something  material,  fibrous,  closed  up ;  and  good  not  alive,  as 
something  woody,  bony,  stony.  But  truth  and  good  made  liv- 
ing by  the  Lord  are  open,  vital,  full  of  the  spiritual  and  celes- 
tial, open  and  manifest  even  from  the  Lord ;  and  this  in  every 
idea  and  in  every  act,  yea,  in  the  least  of  either  of  them.  This 
then  is  why  it  is  said  that  pairs  should  enter  into  the  ark,  to 
keep  them  alive. 

672.  That  the  male  means  truth  and  the  female  good,  has 
been  said  and  shown  before.     In  every  least   thing  of  man 
there  is  the  likeness  of  a  kind  of  marriage.     Whatever  is  of 
the  understanding  is  thus  coupled  with  something  of  the  will, 
and  without  such  a  coupling  or  marriage   nothing   at  all  is 
brought  forth. 

673.  Verse  20.   Of  the  fowl  after  its  kind,  and  of  the  beast 
after  its  kind,  of  every  creeping  thing  of  the  ground  after  its 
kind,  pairs  of  all  shall  enter  unto  thee,  to  keep  them  alive.    The 
"  fowl,"  signifies  things  intellectual ;   the  "  beast,"  things  of 
the  will ;  the  "  creeping  thing  of  the  ground,"  signifies  both, 
but  what  is  lowest  of  them;   "pairs  of  all  shall  come  unto 
thee,  to  keep  them  alive,"  signifies,  as  before,  their  regeneration. 

674.  That   the  "fowl"  signifies  things   intellectual  or  ra- 
tional has  been  shown  before  (n.  40),  and  that  the  "beast" 
signifies  things  of  the  will,  or  affections  (n.  45,  46,  143,  144, 
246).    That  the  "  creeping  thing  of  the  ground"  signifies  both, 
but  what  is  lowest  of  them,  may  be  plain  to  any  one  from  the 
fact  that  creeping  on  the  ground  is  what  is   lowest.     That 
"  pairs  of  all  shall  enter  unto  thee,  to  keep  them  alive"  signi- 
fies their  regeneration,  has  been  shown  in  the  preceding  verse. 


N.  676]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  20  303 

675.  As  to  its  being  said  "the  fowl  after  its  kind,"  "the 
beast  after  its  kind,"  and  "  the  creeping  thing  after  its  kind," 
be  it  known  that  in  every  man  there  are  innumerable  genera, 
and  still  more  innumerable  species,  of  the  things  of  under- 
standing and  of  will,  and  that  all  these  are  most  distinct  from 
one  another,  although  man  does  not  know  it.     But  during  the 
regeneration  of  man  the  Lord  draws  them  out,  each  and  all  in 
their  order,  and  separates  and  disposes  them  so  that  they  may 
be  bent  toward  truths  and  goods  and  may  be  conjoined  with 
them,  and  this  with  diversity  according  to  the  states,  which 
also  are  innumerable.     All  these  things  can  never  be  made 
perfect  even  to  eternity,  as  each  genus,  each  species,  and  each 
state,  comprehends  things  illimitable  even  when  uncompounded, 
and  still  more  in  combination.     A  man  does  not  so  much  as 
know  this  fact ;  still  less  can  he  know  in  what  manner  he  is 
regenerated.     This  is  what  the  Lord  says  to  Nicodemus  con- 
cerning man's  regeneration : — 

The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and  thou  hearest  the  sound  there- 
of, but  knowest  not  whence  it  cometh,  or  whither  it  goeth.  So  is  every 
one  that  is  born  of  the  spirit  (John  iii.  8). 

676.  Verse  21.  And  take  thou  unto  thee  of  all  food  that  is 
eaten,  and  gather  it  to  thee  ;  and  it  shall  be  for  food,  for  thee 
and  for  them.     That  he  should  "  take  to  himself  of  all  food 
that  is  eaten,"  signifies  goods  and  delights ;   that  he  should 
"  gather  to  himself,"  signifies  truths ;  that  it  should  be  "  for 
food  for  him  and  for  them,"  signifies  both. 

677.  As  regards  the  food  of  the  man  who  is  to  be  regener- 
ated, the  case  is  this  :  Before  a  man  can  be  regenerated  he  needs 
to  be  furnished  with  all  things  that  may  serve  as  means — with 
the  goods  and  delights  of  the  affections  as  means  for  the  will ; 
and  with  truths  from  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  and  also  with  con- 
firmatory things  from  other  sources,  as  means  for  the  under- 
standing.    Until  a  man  is  furnished  with  such  things  he  can- 
not be  regenerated ;  these  being  for  food.     This  is  the  reason 
why  man  is  not  regenerated  until  he  comes  to  adult  age.    But 
each  man  has  his  peculiar  and  as  it  were  his  own  food,  which 
is  provided  for  him  by  the  Lord  before  he  is  regenerated. 

678.  That  his  "taking  to  himself  of  all  food  that  is  eaten" 
signifies  goods  and  delights,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said 


304  GENESIS  [N.  078 

above :  that  goods  and  delights  constitute  man's  life ;  and 
not  so  much  truths,  for  truths  receive  their  life  from  goods  and 
delights.  From  infancy  to  old  age  nothing  of  knowledge  or 
of  reason  is  ever  insinuated  except  by  means  of  what  is  good 
and  delightful,  and  such  things  are  called  "  food,"  because  the 
soul  lives  and  derives  its  sustenance  from  them ;  and  they  are 
food,  for  without  them  a  man's  soul  cannot  possibly  live,  as 
any  one  may  know  if  he  will  but  pay  attention  to  the  matter. 

679.  That  "  gathering  to  himself"  means  truths,  is  therefore 
evident ;  for  "  gathering"  is  predicated  of  the  things  that  are  in 
man's  memory,  where  they  are  gathered  together.     And  the 
expression  further  implies  that  both  goods  and  truths  should 
be  gathered  in  man  before  he  is  regenerated ;  for  without  goods 
and  truths  gathered  together,  through  which  as  means  the  Lord 
may  operate,  a  man  can  never  be  regenerated,  as  has  been  said. 
From  this  then  it  follows  that  "  it  shall  be  for  food  for  thee  and 
for  them,"  signifies  both  goods  and  truths. 

680.  That  goods  and  truths  are  the  genuine  foods  of  man 
must  be  evident  to  every  one,  for  he  who  is  destitute  of  them 
has  no  life,  but  is  dead.     When  a  man  is  spiritually  dead  the 
foods  with  which  his  soul  is  fed  are  delights  from  evils  and 
pleasantnesses  from  falsities — which  are  foods  of  death — and 
are  also  those  which  come  from  bodily,  worldly,  and  natural 
things,  which  also  have  nothing  of  life  in  them.     Moreover, 
such  a  man  does  not  know  what  spiritual  and  celestial  food  is, 
insomuch  that  whenever  "food"  or  "bread"  is  mentioned  in 
the  Word  he  supposes  the  food  of  the  body  to  be  meant ;  as  in 
the  Lord's  prayer,  the  words  "  Give  us  our  daily  bread,"  he 
supposes  to  mean  only  sustenance  for  the  body ;  and  those  who 
extend  their  ideas  further  say  it  includes  also  other  necessaries 
of  the  body,  such  as  clothing,  property,  and  the  like.   They  even 
sharply  deny  that  any  other  food  is  meant ;  when  yet  they  see 
plainly  that  the  words  preceding  and  following  involve  only 
celestial  and  spiritual  things,  and  that  the  Lord's  kingdom  is 
spoken  of ;  and  besides,  they  might  know  that  the  Word  of  the 
Lord  is  celestial  and  spiritual.    [2]  From  this  and  other  similar 
examples  it  must  be  sufficiently  evident  how  corporeal  is  man 
at  the  present  day ;  and  that,  like  the  Jews,  he  is  disposed  to 
take  everything  that  is  said  in  the  Word  in  the  most  gross  and 


N.  080]  CHAPTER   VI.  VER.  21  305 

material  sense.  The  Lord  Himself  clearly  teacheS  what  is  meant 
in  His  Word  by  "  food"  and  "  bread."  Concerning  "  food"  He 
thus  speaks  in  John  : — 

Jesus  said,  Labor  not  for  the  meat  (or  food)  which  perisheth,  but  for 
that  meat  which  endureth  unto  eternal  life,  which  the  Son  of  man  Jiall 
give  unto  you  (vi.  27). 

And  concerning  "  bread"  He  says,  in  the  same  chapter : — 

Your  fathers  did  eat  manna  in  the  wilderness,  and  are  dead.  This  is 
the  Bread  which  cometh  down  from  heaven,  that  a  man  may  eat  thereof 
and  not  die.  I  am  the  living  Bread  which  came  down  from  heaven  ;  if 
any  man  eat  of  this  Bread  he  shall  live  eternally  (vi.  49-51,  58). 

But  at  the  present  day  there  are  men  like  those  who  heard  these 
words  and  said  :  "  This  is  a  hard  saying ;  who  can  hear  it  ?" 
and  who  "  went  back  and  walked  no  more  with  Him"  (ib.  verses 
60,  66),  to  whom  the  Lord  said :  "  The  words  that  I  speak 
unto  you  they  are  spirit  and  they  are  life"  (verse  63).  [3] 
And  so  with  respect  to  "  water,"  which  signifies  the  spiritual 
things  of  faith,  and  concerning  which  the  Lord  thus  speaks  in 
John : — 

Jesus  said,  Every  one  that  drinketh  of  this  water  shall  thirst  again ; 
but  whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  never 
thirst ;  but  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  become  in  him  a  foun- 
tain of  water  springing  up  unto  eternal  life  (iv.  13,  14). 

But  at  the  present  day  there  are  those  who  are  like  the  woman 
with  whom  the  Lord  spoke  at  the  well,  and  who  answered, 
"  Lord,  give  me  this  water,  that  I  thirst  not,  neither  come 
hither  to  draw"  (verse  15).  [4]  That  in  the  Word  "food" 
means  no  other  than  spiritual  and  celestial  food,  which  is  faith 
in  the  Lord,  and  love,  is  evident  from  many  passages  in  the 
Word,  as  in  Jeremiah : — 

The  enemy  hath  spread  out  his  hand  upon  all  the  desirable  things  of 
Jerusalem  ;  for  she  hath  seen  that  the  nations  are  entered  into  her  sanc- 
tuary, concerning  whom  Thou  didst  command  that  they  should  not  enter 
into  Thy  congregation.  All  the  people  groan,  they  seek  bread ;  they 
have  given  their  desirable  things  for  food  to  refresh  the  soul  (Lam.  \. 
10,  11). 

No  other  than  spiritual  bread  and  food  are  here  meant,  for  the 
subject  is  the  sanctuary.     Again  : — 
VOL.  I.— 20 


306  GENESIS  [N.  680 

I  have  cried  out  for  my  lovers,  they  have  deceived  me  ;  my  priests 
and  mine  elders  in  the  city  expired,  for  they  sought  food  for  themselves, 
to  refresh  their  soul  (i.  19), 

with  the  same  meaning.     In  David : — 

These  wait  all  upon  Thee,  that  Thou  mayest  give  them  their  food  in 
its  season ;  Thou  givest  them,  they  gather ;  Thou  openest  thine  hand, 
they  are  satisfied  with  good  (Ps.  civ.  27,  28). 

Here  likewise  spiritual  and  celestial  food  is  meant.  [5]  In 
Isaiah : — 

Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters  ;  and  he  that  hath 
no  silver ;  come  ye,  buy  and  eat ;  yea,  come,  buy  wine  and  milk  without 
silver,  and  without  price  (Iv.  1), 

where  "  wine"  and  "  milk"  denote  spiritual  and  celestial  drink. 
Again : — 

A  virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a  Son,  and  thou  shalt  call  His  name 
Immanuel ;  butter  and  honey  shall  He  eat,  that  He  may  know  to  refuse 
the  evil  and  choose  the  good  ;  and  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  for  the 
abundance  of  milk  that  they  shall  give  they  shall  eat  butter  ;  for  butter 
and  honey  shall  every  one  eat  that  is  left  in  the  midst  of  the  land  (vii. 
14,  15,  22). 

Here  to  "  eat  honey  and  butter"  is  to  appropriate  what  is  ce- 
lestial spiritual ;  "  they  that  are  left"  denote  remains,  concern- 
ing whom  also  in  Malachi : — 

Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the  treasure-house,  that  there  may  be  food 
in  My  house  (iii.  10). 

"Tithes"  denote  remains.  (Concerning  the  signification  of 
«  food,"  see  above,  n.  56-58,  276.) 

681.  The  nature  of  celestial  and  spiritual  food  can  best  be 
known  in  the  other  life.  The  life  of  angels  and  spirits  is  not 
sustained  by  any  such  food  as  there  is  in  this  world,  but  by 
"  every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord," 
as  the  Lord  teaches  in  Matthew  iv.  4.  The  truth  is  that  the 
Lord  alone  is  the  life  of  all,  and  that  from  Him  come  all 
things  both  in  general  and  in  particular  that  angels  and  spirits 
think,  say,  and  do,  and  also  what  evil  spirits  think,  say,  and 
do.  The  reason  why  these  latter  say  and  do  evil  things  is 
that  they  so  receive  and  pervert  all  the  goods  and  truths  that 
are  of  the  Lord.  Reception  and  affection  are  according  to  the 
form  of  the  recipient.  This  may  be  compared  to  the  various 


N.  681]  CHAPTER  VI.  VER.  21  307 

objects  that  receive  the  light  of  the  sun,  some  of  which  turn 
the  light  received  into  unpleasing  and  disagreeable  colors, 
while  others  turn  it  into  pleasing  and  beautiful  colors,  accord- 
ing to  the  form,  determination,  and  disposition  of  their  parts. 
The  whole  heaven  and  the  entire  world  of  spirits  thus  live  by 
everything  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord,  and 
from  this  each  individual  has  his  life ;  and  not  only  the  whole 
heaven  and  the  world  of  spirits,  but  also  the  whole  human 
race.  I  know  that  these  things  will  not  be  believed,  neverthe- 
less from  the  continuous  experience  of  years  I  can  assert  that 
they  are  most  true.  Evil  spirits  in  the  world  of  spirits  are 
not  willing  to  believe  that  this  is  so ;  and  therefore  it  has 
often  been  demonstrated  to  them — to  the  life — even  until  they 
have  acknowledged  with  indignation  that  it  is  true.  If  angels, 
spirits,  and  men  were  deprived  of  this  food  they  would  expire 
in  a  moment. 

682.  Verse  22.  And  Noah  did  according  to  all  that  God  com- 
manded him  ;  so  did  he.    "  Noah  did  according  to  all  that  God 
commanded  him,"  signifies  that  thus  it  came  to  pass.     That  it 
is  twice  said  he  "  did"  involves  both  [good  and  truth]. 

683.  As  regards  the  repetition  of  "did,"  that  it  involves 
both  [good  and  truth],  it  should  be  known  that  in  the  Word, 
especially  in  the  Prophets,  one  thing  is  described  in  a  twofold 
manner.     Thus  in  Isaiah : — 

He  passed  through  in  peace,  a  way  that  He  had  not  gone  with  his 
feet ;  who  hath  wrought  and  done  it  ?  (xli.  3,  4), 

where  one  expression  relates  to  good,  and  the  other  to  truth ; 
or,  one  relates  to  what  is  of  the  will,  and  the  other  to  what  is 
of  the  understanding;  that  is  to  say,  "he  passed  over  in 
peace,"  involves  what  is  of  the  will,  and  "  a  way  he  had  not 
gone  with  his  feet,"  involves  what  is  of  the  understanding ; 
and  it  is  the  same  with  the  words  "  wrought"  and  "  done." 
Thus  the  things  that  pertain  to  the  will  and  to  the  under- 
standing, or  to  love  and  faith,  or  what  is  the  same,  celestial 
and  spiritual  things,  are  so  conjoined  together  in  the  Word 
that  in  each  and  every  thing  there  is  a  likeness  of  a  marriage, 
and  a  relation  to  the  heavenly  marriage.  It  is  so  here,  in  that 
the  one  word  is  repeated. 


308  GENESIS  [N.  684 

CONCERNING    THE    SOCIETIES   WHICH    CONSTITUTE    HEAVEN. 

684.  There  are  three  heavens :    the  First  is  the  abode  of 
good  spirits,  the  Second  of  angelic  spirits,  and  the  Third  of 
angels.     And   one   heaven  is   more  interior   and   pure  than 
another,  so  that  they  are  most  distinct.     Each   heaven,  the 
first,  the  second,  and  the  third,  is  distinguished  into  innumer- 
able societies ;  and  each  society  consists  of  many  individuals, 
who  by  their  harmony  and  unanimity  constitute  as  it  were  one 
person ;  and  all  the  societies  together  are  as  one  man.     The 
societies  are  distinct  from  one  another  according  to  the  differ- 
ences of  mutual  love,  and  of  faith  in  the  Lord.     These  differ- 
ences are  so  innumerable  that  not  even  the  most  universal 
genera  of  them  can  be  computed;  and  there  is  not  the  least 
of  difference  that  is  not  disposed  in  most  perfect  order,  so  as 
to  conspire  most  harmoniously  to  a  common  unity,  and  the 
common  unity  to  unanimity  of  individuals,  and  thereby  to  the 
happiness  of  all  from  each,  and  of  each  from  all.     Each  angel 
and  each  society  is  therefore  an  image  of  the  universal  heaven, 
and  is  as  it  were  a  little  heaven. 

685.  There  are  wonderful  consociations  in  the  other  life 
which  may  be  compared  to  relationships  on  earth  :   that  is  to 
say,  they  recognize  one  another  as  parents,  children,  brothers, 
and  relations  by  blood  and  by  marriage,  the  love  being  accord- 
ing to  such  varieties   of   relationship.      These  varieties    are 
endless,  and  the  communicable  perceptions  are  so  exquisite 
that   they  cannot  be  described.      The  relationships  have  no 
reference  at  all  to  the  circumstance  that  those  who  are  there 
had  been  parents,  children,  or  kindred  by  blood  and  marriage 
on  earth ;  and  they  have  no  respect  to  person,  no  matter  what 
any  one  may  have  been.     Thue  they  have  no  regard  to  digni- 
ties, nor  to  wealth,  nor  to  any  such  matters,  but  solely  to  vari- 
eties of  mutual  love  and  of  faith,  the  faculty  for  the  reception 
of   which  they  had  received  from  the  Lord  while  they  had 
lived  in  the  world. 

686.  It  is  the  Lord's  mercy,  that  is,  His  love  toward  the 
universal  heaven  and  the  universal  human  race,  thus  it  is  the 
Lord  alone  who  determines  all  things  both  in  general  and  in 
particular  into  societies     This  mercy  it  is  which  produces  con- 


N.  686]  HEAVENLY   SOCIETIES  309 

jugial  love,  and  from  this  the  love  of  parents  for  children, 
which  are  the  fundamental  and  principal  loves.  From  these 
come  all  other  loves,  with  endless  variety,  which  are  arranged 
most  distinctly  into  societies. 

687.  Such  being  the  nature  of  heaven,  no  angel  or  spirit  can 
have  any  life  unless  he  is  in  some  society,  and  thereby  in  a 
harmony  of  many.     A  society  is  nothing  but  a  harmony  of 
many,  for  no  one  has  any  life  separate  from  the  life  of  others. 
Indeed  no  angel,  or  spirit,  or  society  can  have  any  life  (that 
is,  be  affected  by  good,  exercise  will,  be  affected  by  truth,  or 
think),  unless  there  is  a  conjunction  thereof  through  many  of 
his  society  with  heaven  and  with  the  world  of  spirits.     And 
it  is  the  same  with  the  human  race :  no  man,  no  matter  who 
and  what  he  may  be,  can  live  (that  is,  be  affected  by  good,  ex- 
ercise will,  be  affected  by  truth,  or  think),  unless  in  like  man- 
ner he  is  conjoined  with  heaven  through  the  angels  who  are 
with  him,  and  with  the  world  of  spirits,  nay,  with  hell,  through 
the  spirits  that  are  with  him.     For  every  man  while  living  in 
the  body  is  in  some  society  of  spirits  and  of  angels,  though 
entirely  unaware  of  it.     And  if  he  were  not  conjoined  with 
heaven  and  with  the  world  of  spirits  through  the  society  in 
which  he  is,  he  could  not  live  a  moment.     The  case  in  this  re- 
spect is  the  same  as  it  is  with  the  human  body,  any  portion  of 
which  that  is  not  conjoined  with  the  rest  by  means  of  fibers 
and  vessels,  and  thus  by  means  of  functions,  is  not  a  part  of 
the  body,  but  is  instantly  separated  and  rejected,  as  having  no 
vitality.    The  very  societies  in  and  with  which  men  have  been 
during  the  life  of  the  body,  are  shown  them  when  they  come 
into  the  other  life.    And  when,  after  the  life  of  the  body,  they 
come  into  their  society,  they  come  into  their  veriest  life  which 
they  had  hi  the  body,  and  from  this  life  begin  a  new  life  ;  and 
so  according  to  their  life  which  they  have  lived  in  the  body 
they  either  go  down  into  hell,  or  are  raised  up  into  heaven. 

688.  As  there  is  such  conjunction  of  all  with  each  and  of 
each  with  all,  there  is  also  a  similar  conjunction  of  the  most 
individual  particulars  of  affection  and  the  most  individual  par- 
ticulars of  thought. 

689.  There  is  therefore  an  equilibrium  of  all  and  of  each 
with  respect  to  celestial,  spiritual,  and  natural  things  ;  so  that 


310  GENESIS  [N.  689 

no  one  can  think,  feel,  and  act  except  from  many,  and  yet 
every  one  supposes  that  he  does  so  of  himself,  most  freely.  In 
like  manner  there  is  nothing  which  is  not  balanced  by  its  op- 
posite, and  opposites  by  intermediates,  so  that  each  by  himself, 
and  many  together,  live  in  most  perfect  equilibrium.  And 
therefore  no  evil  can  befall  any  one  without  being  instantly 
counterbalanced ;  and  when  there  is  a  preponderance  of  evil, 
the  evil  or  evil-doer  is  chastised  by  the  law  of  equilibrium,  as 
of  himself,  but  solely  for  the  end  that  good  may  come.  Heavenly 
order  consists  in  such  a  form  and  the  consequent  equilibrium ; 
and  that  order  is  formed,  disposed,  and  preserved  by  the  Lord 
alone,  to  eternity. 

690.  It  should  be  known,  moreover,  that  there  is  never  one 
society  entirely  and  absolutely  like  another,  nor  is  there  one 
person  like  another  in  any  society,  but  there  is  an  accordant 
and  harmonious  variety  of  all ;  and  the  varieties  are  so  ordered 
by  the  Lord  that  they  conspire  to  one  end,  which  is  effected 
through  love  and  faith  in  Him.     Hence  their  unity.     For  the 
same  reason  the  heaven  and  heavenly  joy  of  one  is  never  ex- 
actly and  absolutely  like  that  of  another ;  but  according  to  the 
varieties  of  love  and  faith,  such  are  the  heaven  and  the  heavenly 
joy  in  those  varieties. 

691.  These  things  in  general  respecting  the  heavenly  socie- 
ties are  from  manifold  and  daily  experience,  concerning  which 
specifically,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 


CHAPTER  THE  SEVENTH. 

CONCERNING    HELL. 

692.  As  with  regard  to  heaven,  so  with  regard  to  hell,  man 
has  only  a  very  general  idea,  which  is  so  obscure  that  it  is 
almost  none  at  all.  It  is  such  as  they  who  have  not  been  be- 
yond their  huts  in  the  woods  may  have  of  the  earth,  They 
know  nothing  of  its  empires  and  kingdoms,  still  less  of  its 
forms  of  government,  of  its  societies,  or  of  the  life  in  the  so- 


N.  692]  HELL  311 

cieties.  Until  they  know  these  things  they  can  have  but  the 
most  general  notion  of  the  earth,  so  general  as  to  be  almost 
none.  The  case  is  the  same  in  regard  to  people's  ideas  about 
heaven  and  hell,  when  yet  in  each  of  them  there  are  things  in- 
numerable and  indefinitely  more  numerous  than  in  any  earthly 
world.  How  numberless  they  are  may  be  evident  from  this 
alone :  that  just  as  no  one  ever  has  the  same  heaven,  so  no  one 
has  the  same  hell  as  another,  and  that  all  souls  whatever  who 
have  lived  in  the  world  since  the  first  creation  come  there  and 
are  gathered  together. 

693.  As  love  to  the  Lord  and  toward  the  neighbor,  together 
with  the  joy  and  happiness  thence  derived  constitute  heaven, 
so  hatred  against  the  Lord  and  the  neighbor,  together  with  the 
consequent  punishment  and  torment,  constitute  hell.     There 
are  innumerable  genera  of  hatreds,  and  still  more  innumerable 
species ;  and  the  hells  are  just  as  innumerable. 

694.  As  heaven  from  the  Lord,  through  mutual  love,  consti- 
tutes as  it  were  one  man,  and  one  soul,  and  thus  has  regard  to 
one  end,  which  is  the  conservation  and  salvation  of  all  to  eter- 
nity, so,  on  the  other  hand,  hell,  from  man's  Own,  through  the 
love  of  self  and  of  the  world,  that  is,  through  hatred,  consti- 
tutes one  devil  and  one  mind  (animus),  and  thus  also  has  re- 
gard to  one  end,  which  is  the  destruction  and  damnation  of  all 
to  eternity.     That  such  is  their  endeavor  has  been  perceived 
thousands  and  thousands  of  times,  so  that  unless  the  Lord 
preserved  all  every  instant,  they  would  perish. 

695.  But  the  form  and  the  order  imposed  by  the  Lord  on 
the  hells  is  such  that  all  are  held  bound  and  tied  up  by  their 
cupidities  and  phantasies,  in  which  their  very  life  consists ; 
and  this  life,  being  a  life  of  death,  is  turned  into  dreadful  tor- 
ments,  so   severe   that   they  cannot  be  described.     For  the 
greatest  delight  of  their  life  consists  in  being  able  to  punish, 
torture,  and  torment  one  another,  and  this  by  arts  unknown 
in  the  world,  whereby  they  know  how  to  induce  exquisite  suf- 
fering, just  as  if  they  were  in  the  body,  and  at  the  same  time 
dreadful  and  horrid  phantasies,  with  terrors  and  horrors  and 
many  such  torments.     The  diabolical  crew   take  so   great  a 
pleasure  in  this  that  if  they  could  increase  and  extend  the 
pains  and  torments  to  infinity,  they  would  not  even  then  be 


312  GENESIS  [N.  696 

satisfied,  but  would  burn  yet  again  to  infinity ;  but  the  Lord 
takes  away  their  endeavors,  and  alleviates  the  torments. 

696.  Such  is  the  equilibrium  of  all  things  in  the  other  life 
in  both  general  and  particular  that  evil  punishes  itself,  so  that 
in  evil  there  is  the  punishment  of  evil.     It  is  the  same  with 
falsity,  which  returns  upon  him  who  is  in  the  falsity.     Hence 
every  one  brings  punishment  and  torment  upon  himself,  and 
rushes  at  the  same  time  among  the  diabolical  crew  who  inflict 
such  torment.     The  Lord   never  sends  any  one  to  hell,  but 
would  lead  all  away  from  hell,  and  still  less  does  He  lead  into 
torment.     But  as  the  evil  spirit  rushes  into  it  himself,  the 
Lord  turns  all  the  punishment  and  torment  to  good,  and  to 
some  use.     No  penalty  is  ever  possible  unless  the  Lord  has  in 
view  some  end  of  use ;  for  the  Lord's  kingdom  is  a  kingdom 
of  ends  and  uses.     But  the  uses  which  the  infernals  can  per- 
form are  the  lowest  uses ;  and  when  they  are  engaged  in  them 
they  are  not  in  so  much  torment,  but  on  the  cessation  of  the 
use  they  are  sent  back  into  hell. 

697.  There  are  with  every  man  at  least  two  evil  spirits  and 
two  angels.     Through  the  evil  spirits  the  man  has  communi- 
cation with  hell ;  and  through  the  angels,  with  heaven.    With- 
out communication  with   both  no  man  can  live  a  moment. 
Thus  every  man  is  in  some  society  of  infernals,  although  he 
is  unaware  of  it.     But  their  torments  are  not  communicated 
to  him,  because  he  is  in  a  state  of  preparation  for  eternal  life. 
The  society  in  which  a  man  has  been  is  sometimes  shown  him 
in  the  other  life  ;  for  he  returns  to  it,  and  thereby  into  the  life 
that  he  had  in  the  world ;  and  from  thence  he  either  tends 
toward  hell,  or  is  raised  up  toward  heaven.     Thus  a  man  who 
does  not  live  in  the  good  of  charity,  and  does  not  suffer  him- 
self to  be  led  by  the  Lord,  is  one  of  the  infernals,  and  after 
death  also  becomes  a  devil. 

698.  Besides  the  hells  there  are  also  vastations,  concerning 
which  there  is  much  in  the  Word.     For  in  consequence  of 
actual  sins  a  man  takes  with  him  into  the  other  life  innumer- 
able evils  and  falsities,  which  he  accumulates   and  joins  to 
himself.     It  is  so  even  with  those  who  have  lived  uprightly. 
Before  these  can  be  taken  up  into  heaven,  their  evils  and  falsi- 
ties must  be  dissipated,  and  this  dissipation  is  called  Vastation. 


N.  698]  HELL  313 

There  are  many  kinds  of  vastations,  and  longer  and  shorter 
periods  of  vastation.  Some  are  taken  up  into  heaven  in  a 
comparatively  short  time,  and  some  immediately  after  death. 

699.  That  I  might  witness  the  torment  of  those  who  are  in 
hell,  and  the  vastation  of  those  who  are  in  the  lower  earth,  I 
have  at  different  times  been  let  down  thither.    To  be  let  down 
into  hell  is  not  to  be  carried  from  one  place  to  another,  but  to 
be  let  into  some  infernal  society,  the  man  remaining  in  the 
same  place.     But  I  may  here  relate  only  this  experience :    I 
plainly  perceived  that  a  kind  of  column  surrounded  me,  and 
this  column  was  sensibly  increased,  and  it  was  intimated  to 
me  that  this  was  the  "  wall  of  brass"  spoken  of  in  the  Word.* 
The  column  was  formed  of  angelic  spirits  in  order  that  I  might 
safely  descend  to  the  unhappy.     When  I  was  there  I  heard 
piteous  lamentations,  such  as,  0  God !    0  God !    take  pity  on 
us !    take  pity  on  us !    and  this  for  a  long  time.     I  was  per- 
mitted to  speak  to  those  wretched  ones,  and  this  for  a  consid- 
erable time.     They  complained  especially  of   evil  spirits  in 
that  they  desired  and  burned  for  nothing  else  than  to  torment 
them.     They  were  in  despair,  saying  that  they  believed  their 
torment  would   be  eternal;   but  I  was  permitted  to  comfort 
them. 

700.  The  hells  being  as  we  have  stated  so  numerous,  in 
order  to  give  some  regular  account  of  them,  they  shall  be 
treated  of  as  follows : — I.  Concerning  the  hells  of  those  who 
have  lived  a  life  of  hatred,  revenge,  and  cruelty.     II.   Con- 
cerning the  hells  of  those  who  have  lived  in  adulteries  and 
lasciviousnesses ;    and  concerning  the  hells  of   the  deceitful, 
and  of   sorceresses.      III.    Concerning   the  hells  of  the  ava- 
ricious ;  and  the  filthy  Jerusalem  there,  and  the  robbers  in 
the  wilderness ;  also  concerning  the  excrementitious  hells  of 
those  who  have  lived  in  mere  pleasures.    IV.  Afterwards  con- 
cerning other  hells  which  are  distinct  from  the  above.     V 
Finally  concerning  those  who  are  in  vastation.     The  descrip- 
tion of  these  will  be  found  prefixed  and  appended   to  the 
following  chapters. 

*  Jer.  i.  18  ;  xv.  20. 


314  GENESIS  [N.  700 


CHAPTER   VIL 

1.  And  Jehovah  said  unto  Noah,  Enter  thou  and  all  thy 
house  into  the  ark ;  for  thee  have  I  seen  righteous  before  Me 
in  this  generation. 

2.  Of  every  clean  beast  thou  shalt  take  to  thee  by  sevens, 
the  man  (vir)  and  his  wife ;  and  of  the  beast  that  is  not  clean 
by  twos,  the  man  and  his  wife. 

3.  Of  the  fowl  of  the  heavens  also  by  sevens,  male  and  fe- 
male, to  keep  seed  alive  upon  the  faces  of  the  whole  earth. 

4.  For  in  yet  seven  days  I  will  cause  it  to  rain  upon  the 
earth  forty  days  and  forty  nights ;  and  every  substance  that  I 
have  made  will  I  destroy  from  off  the  faces  of  the  ground. 

5.  And  Noah  did  according  to  all  that  Jehovah  commanded 
him. 

********* 

6.  And  Noah  was  a  son  of  six  hundred  years,  and  the  flood 
of  waters  was  upon  the  earth. 

7.  And  Noah  went  in,  and  his  sons,  and  his  wife,  and  his 
sons'  wives  with  him,  into  the  ark,  from  before  the  waters  of 
the  flood. 

8.  Of  the  clean  beast,  and  of  the  beast  that  is  not  clean,  and 
of  the  fowl,  and  of  everything  that  creepeth  upon  the  ground, 

9.  There  went  in  two  and  two  unto  Noah  into  the  ark,  male 
and  female,  as  God  had  commanded  Noah. 

10.  And  it  came  to  pass  after  the  seven  days  that  the  waters 
of  the  flood  were  upon  the  earth. 

********* 

11.  In  the  six  hundredth  year  of  Noah's  life,  in  the  second 
month,  in  the  seventeenth  day  of  the  month,  in  that  day  were 
&11  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  broken  up,  and  the  cataracts 
of  heaven  were  opened. 

12.  And  the  rain  was  upon  the  earth  forty  days  and  forty 
nights. 

********* 

13.  In  the  self-same  day  entered  Noah,  and  Shem,  and  Ham, 
and  Japheth,  the  sons  of  Noah,  and  Noah's  wife,  and  the  three 
wives  of  his  sons  with  them,  into  the  ark. 


N.  700]  CHAPTER   VII.  315 

14.  They,  and  every  wild  animal  after  its  kind,  and  every 
beast  after  its  kind,  and  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth 
upon  the  earth  after  its  kind ;  and  every  fowl  after  its  kind, 
every  flying  thing,  every  winged  thing. 

15.  And  they  went  in  unto  Noah  into  the  ark,  two  and  two 
of  all  flesh  wherein  is  the  breath  of  lives. 

********* 

16.  And  they  that  went  in,  went  in  male  and  female  of  all 
flesh,  as  God  had  commanded  him.     And  Jehovah  shut  after 
him. 

17.  And  the  flood  was  forty  days  upon  the  earth,  and  the 
waters  increased,  and  bare  up  the  ark,  and  it  was  lifted  up 
from  off  the  earth. 

18.  And  the  waters  were  strengthened,  and  were  increased 
exceedingly  upon  the  earth ;  and  the  ark  went  upon  the  face 
of  the  waters. 

********* 

19.  And  the  waters  were  strengthened  very  exceedingly  upon 
the  earth,  and  all  the  high  mountains  that  were  under  the  whole 
heaven  were  covered. 

20.  Fifteen  cubits  upward  did  the  waters  prevail,  and  cov- 
ered the  mountains. 

21.  And  all  flesh  died  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth,  as  to 
fowl,  and  as  to  beast,  and  as  to  wild  animal,  and  as  to  every 
creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth ;  and  every  man. 

22.  All  in  whose  nostrils  was  the  breathing  (flatus)  of  the 
breath  of  lives,  of  all  that  was  in  the  dry  [land],  died. 

23.  And  He  destroyed  every  substance  that  was  upon  the 
faces  of  the  ground,  from  man  even  to  beast,  even  to  creeping 
thing,  and  even  to  the  fowl  of  the  heavens ;  and  they  were 
destroyed  from  the  earth ;  and  Noah  only  was  left,  and  that 
which  was  with  him  in  the  ark. 

24.  And  the  waters  were  strengthened  upon  the  earth  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  days. 


316  GENESIS  [N.  701 


THE  CONTENTS. 

701.  The  subject  here  treated  of  in  general  is  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  new  church.  As  the  subject  before  was  the  intellectual 
things  of  that  church,  so  here  it  is  the  things  of  the  will  (verses 
1  to  5). 

702.  Next  its  temptations  are  treated  of,  which  are  described 
as  to  its  intellectual  things  from  verses  6  to  10,  and  as  to  the 
things  of  the  will  in  verses  11,  12. 

703.  Afterwards  the  protection  of  this  church  is  treated  of, 
and  its  preservation  (verses  13  to  15).    But  what  its  state  was, 
that  it  was  fluctuating,  is  described  in  verses  16  to  18. 

704.  Finally  the  last  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church 
is  treated  of  in  regard  to  its  character :  that  it  was  possessed 
by  persuasions  of  falsity  and  by  cupidities  of  the  love  of  self 
to  such  a  degree  that  it  perished  (verses  19  to  24). 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

705.  The  subject  here  specifically  treated  of  is  the  "flood," 
by  which  is  signified  not  only  the  temptations  which  the  man 
of  the  church  called  "  Noah"  had  to  undergo  before  he  could  be 
regenerated,  but  also  the  desolation  of  those  who  could  not  be 
regenerated.  Both  temptations  and  desolations  are  compared 
in  the  Word  to  "  floods"  or  "  inundations"  of  waters,  and  are 
so  called.  Temptations  are  denoted  in  Isaiah : — 

For  a  small  moment  have  I  forsaken  thee,  but  in  great  compassions 
will  I  gather  thee  again.  In  an  inundation  of  anger  I  hid  my  faces  from 
thee  for  a  moment ;  but  in  the  mercy  of  eternity  will  I  have  compassion 
upon  thee,  saith  Jehovah  thy  Redeemer.  For  this  is  the  waters  of  Noah 
unto  Me,  to  whom  I  have  sworn  that  the  waters  of  Noah  should  no  more 
go  over  the  earth,  so  have  I  sworn  that  I  would  not  be  wroth  with  thee 
and  rebuke  thee,  0  thou  afflicted  and  tossed  with  tempests  and  not  com- 
forted (liv.  7-9,  11). 

This  is  said  of  the  church  that  is  to  be  regenerated,  and  con- 
cerning its  temptations,  which  are  called  the  "  waters  of  Noah." 


N.  706]  CHAPTER   VU.  317 

[2]  The  Lord  Himself  also  calls  temptations  an  "  inundation," 
in  Luke : — 

Jesus  said,  Every  one  that  cometh  unto  Me,  and  heareth  My  sayings 
and  doeth  them  is  like  unto  a  man  building  a  house,  who  digged,  and  went 
deep,  and  laid  a  foundation  upon  the  rock ;  and  when  an  inundation 
came,  the  stream  beat  upon  that  house,  but  could  not  shake  it,  because 
it  had  been  founded  upon  the  rock  (vi.  47,  48). 

That  temptations  are  here  meant  by  an  "inundation"  must  be 
evident  to  every  one.  Desolations  are  also  denoted  in  Isaiah : — 

The  Lord  bringeth  up  upon  them  the  waters  of  the  river,  strong  and 
many,  the  king  of  Asshur  and  all  his  glory  ;  and  he  riseth  up  above  all 
his  channels,  and  shall  go  over  all  his  banks :  and  he  shall  go  through 
Judah  ;  he  shall  inundate  and  go  through  ;  he  shall  reach  even  to  the 
neck  (viii.  7,  8). 

"  The  king  of  Asshur"  here  stands  for  phantasies,  principles  of 
falsity,  and  the  derivative  reasonings,  which  desolate  man,  and 
which  desolated  the  antediluvians.  [3]  In  Jeremiah : — 

Thus  hath  said  Jehovah,  Behold  waters  rise  up  out  of  the  north,  and 
shall  become  an  inundating  stream,  and  shall  inundate  the  land  and  the 
fullness  thereof,  the  city  and  them  that  dwell  therein  (xlvii.  2,  3). 

This  is  said  of  the  Philistines,  who  represent  those  who  take 
up  false  principles,  and  reason  from  them  concerning  spiritual 
things,  which  reasonings  inundate  man,  as  they  did  the  antedi- 
luvians. The  reason  why  both  temptations  and  desolations 
are  compared  in  the  Word  to  "  floods"  or  "  inundations"  of 
waters,  and  are  so  called,  is  that  they  are  similarly  circum- 
stanced; it  being  evil  spirits  who  flow  in  with  their  persua- 
sions and  the  false  principles  in  which  they  are,  and  excite 
such  things  in  man.  With  the  man  who  is  being  regenerated, 
these  are  temptations ;  but  with  the  man  who  is  not  being  re- 
generated they  are  desolations. 

706.  Verse  1.  And  Jehovah  said  unto  Noah,  Enter  thou  and 
all  thy  house  into  the  ark  ;  for  thee  have  I  seen  righteous  before 
Me  in  this  generation.  "  Jehovah  said  unto  Noah,"  signifies 
that  so  it  came  to  pass  ("  Jehovah"  is  named  because  charity 
is  now  treated  of)  ;  "  enter  thou  and  all  thy  house  into  the  ark," 
signifies  the  things  that  are  of  the  will,  which  is  the  "  house ;" 
to  "  enter  into  the  ark,"  here  signifies  to  be  prepared ;  "  for 


318  GENESIS  [N.  706 

thee  have  I  seen  righteous  in  this  generation,"  signifies  that 
he  had  good  whereby  he  might  be  regenerated. 

707.  Here,  as  far  as  the  fifth  verse,  are  found  almost  the 
same  things  that  were  said  in  the  previous  chapter,  merely 
changed  in  some  little  measure,  and  it  is  the  same  in  the  verses 
that  follow.     One  who  is  not  acquainted  with   the  internal 
sense  of  the  Word  cannot  but  think  that  this  is  merely  a  repe- 
tition of  the  same  thing.      Similar  instances  occur  in  other 
parts  of  the  Word,  especially  in  the  Prophets,  where  the  same 
thing  is  expressed  in  different  words ;   and  sometimes  is  also 
taken  up  again  and  described  a  second  time.     But,  as  before 
said,  the  reason  is  that  there  are  two  faculties  in  man  which 
are  most  distinct  from  each  other — the  will,  and  the  under- 
standing— and  the  two  are  treated  of  in  the  Word  distinctively. 
This  is  the  reason  of  the  repetition.     That  this  is  the  case 
here  will  be  evident  from  what  follows. 

708.  Jehovah  said  unto  Noah.     That  this  signifies  that  so 
it  came  to  pass,  is  evident  from  the  consideration  that  with 
Jehovah  there  is  nothing  else  than  Being  (Esse) :   that  which 
He  says  comes  to  pass  and  is  done ;  just  as  in  the  preceding 
chapter  at  verse  13,  and  elsewhere,  where  the  expression  "  Je- 
hovah said"  means  that  it  came  to  pass  and  was  done. 

709.  The  name  "  Jehovah"  is  here  used  because  the  subject 
now  treated  of  is  charity.     In  the  preceding  chapter,  from  the 
ninth  verse  to  the  end  it  is  not  said  "  Jehovah,"  but  "  God," 
for  the  reason  that  the  subject  there  treated  of  is  the  prepara- 
tion of  "Noah"  (that  is,  of   the  man  of   the  church  called 
"Noah")  as  to  the  things  of  his  understanding,  which  relate 
to  faith ;  whereas  the  subject  here  treated  of  is  his  preparation 
as  to  the  things  of  the  will,  which  are  of  love.     When  the 
things  of  the  understanding,  or  the  truths  of  faith,  are  the 
subject  treated  of,  the  name  "God"  is  used,  but  when  the 
things  of  the  will,  or  the  goods  of  love  are  treated  of,  the 
name  "  Jehovah"  is  used.      For   the   things   of    the   under- 
standing, or  of  faith,  do  not  constitute  the  church,  but  the 
things  of  the  will,  which  are  of  love.     Jehovah  is  in  love  and 
charity    and  not  in  faith  unless  it  is  a  faith  of  love  or  of 
charity.     And  therefore  in  the  Word  faith  is  compared  to 
"  night,"  and  love  to  "  day ;"  as  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis, 


N.  709]  CHAPTER   VH.  VER.  1  319 

where  the  "great  lights"  are  spoken  of,  it  is  said  that  the 
"  greater  light,"  or  the  sun,  which  signifies  love,  should  rule 
the  day,  and  the  "  lesser  light,"  or  the  moon,  which  signifies 
faith,  should  rule  the  night  (Gen.  i.  14,  16);  and  it  is  the 
same  in  the  Prophets  (Jer.  xxxi.  35;  xxxiii.  20;  Ps.  cxxxvi. 
8,  9 ;  Rev.  viii.  12). 

710.  Enter  thou  and  all  thy  house  into  the  ark.     That  this 
signifies  the  things  that  are  of  the  will,  is  therefore  evident. 
In  the  preceding  chapter,  where  the   things   of  the   under- 
standing are  meant,  it  is  expressed  differently,  namely :  "  Thou 
shalt  come  into  the  ark,  thou  and  thy  sons,  and  thy  wife,  and 
thy  sons'  wives  with  thee"  (verse  18).     That  a  "  house"  signi- 
fies the  will  and  what  is  of  the  will,  is  evident  in  various 
places  in  the  Word ;  as  in  Jeremiah : — 

Their  houses  shall  be  turned  over  unto  others,  their  fields  and  their 
wives  together  (vi.  12). 

Here  "  houses"  and  also  "  fields"  and  "  wives"  relate  to  things 
which  are  of  the  will.  Again  : — 

Build  ye  houses  and  dwell  hi  them ;  and  plant  gardens  and  eat  the 
fruit  of  them  (xxix.  6,  28). 

Here  "  building  houses  and  dwelling  in  them"  relates  to  the 
will ;  "  planting  gardens,"  to  the  understanding :  and  it  is  the 
same  in  other  passages.  And  the  "  house  of  Jehovah"  is  fre- 
quently mentioned  as  signifying  the  church  wherein  love  is  the 
principal;  the  "house  of  Judah,"  as  signifying  the  celestial 
church ;  and  the  "  house  of  Israel,"  as  signifying  the  spiritual 
church.  As  "  house"  signifies  the  church,  the  mind  of  the 
man  of  the  church  (wherein  are  the  things  of  the  will  and  of 
the  understanding,  or  of  charity  and  faith),  is  also  signified 
by  "house." 

711.  That  to  "enter  into  the  ark,"  is  to  be  prepared,  has 
been  stated  before,  at  verse  18  of  the  preceding  chapter.    But 
there  it  signified  that  he  was    prepared   for  salvation  as  to 
things  of  the  understanding,  which  are  truths  of  faith ;  but 
here  as  to  things  of   the  will,  which  are  goods  of   charity. 
Unless  a  man  is  prepared,  that  is,  furnished  with  truths  and 
goods,  he  can  by  no  means  be  regenerated,  still  less  undergo 
temptations.     For  the  evil  spirits  who  are  with  him  at  such  a 


320  GENESIS  [N.  711 

time  excite  his  falsities  and  evils ;  and  if  truths  and  goods  are 
not  present,  to  which  they  may  be  bent  by  the  Lord,  and  by 
which  they  may  be  dispersed,  he  succumbs.  These  truths  and 
goods  are  the  remains  which  are  reserved  by  the  Lord  for  such 
uses. 

712.  For  thee  have  I  seen  righteous  in  this  generation.    That 
this  signifies  that  he  had  good  whereby  he  might  be  regener- 
ated, was  stated  and  shown  at  the  ninth  verse  of  the  preceding 
chapter.      In  that  place  "righteous"  or  "just"  signifies  the 
good  of  charity ;  and  "  perfect"  the  truth  of  charity.     It  is 
there  said  "  generations,"  in  the  plural,  because  things  of  the 
understanding  are  treated  of ;  and  here,  "  generation,"  in  the 
singular,  because  things  of  the  will  are  treated  of.     For  the 
will  comprehends  in  itself  the  things  of  the  understanding, 
but  the  understanding  does  not  comprehend  in  itself  those  of 
the  will. 

713.  Verse  2.   Of  every  clean  beast  thou  shalt  take  to  thee 
by  sevens,  the  man  and  his  wife  ;  and  of  the  beast  that  is  not 
clean  by  twos,  the  man  and  his  wife.     By  "  every  clean  beast," 
are  signified  affections  of  good ;  by  "  sevens,"  is  signified  that 
they  are  holy ;  by  "  man  and  his  wife,"  that  the  truths  were 
conjoined  with  goods.     By  the  "  beast  not  clean,"  are  signified 
evil  affections  ;  by  "  two,"  that  they  are  relatively  profane ;  by 
"  man  and  wife,"  falsities  conjoined  with  evils. 

714.  That  affections  of  good  are  signified  by  "  every  clean 
beast"  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  and  shown  before 
respecting  beasts  (n.  45,  46,  142,  143,  246).     The  reason  why 
affections  are  thus  signified  is  that  man  in  himself,  and  re- 
garded in  what  is  his  own,  is  nothing  but  a  beast.     He  has 
very  similar  senses,  appetites,  desires ;  and  all  his  affections 
are  very  similar.     His  good,  nay,  even  his  best  loves,  are  very 
similar ;  as  the  love  for  companions  of  his  own  kind,  the  love 
of  his  children,  and  of  his  wife ;  so  that  they  do  not  at  all 
differ.     But  his  being  man,  and  more  than  beast,  consists  in 
his  having  an  interior  life,  which  beasts  never  have  nor  can 
have.     This  life  is  the  life  of  faith  and  love  from  the  Lord. 
And  if  this  life  were  not  within  everything  that  he  has  in 
common  with  beasts,  he  would  not  be  anything  else.     Take 
only  one  example — love  toward  companions  :  if  he  should  love 


N.  714]  CHAPTER   VII.  VER.  2  321 

them  only  for  the  sake  of  himself,  and  there  were  nothing  more 
heavenly  or  Divine  in  his  love,  he  could  not  from  this  be 
called  a  man,  because  it  is  the  same  with  beasts.  And  so  with 
all  the  rest.  If  therefore  there  were  not  the  life  of  love  from 
the  Lord  in  his  will,  and  the  life  of  faith  from  the  Lord  in 
his  understanding,  he  would  not  be  a  man.  By  virtue  of  the 
life  which  he  has  from  the  Lord  he  lives  after  death ;  because 
the  Lord  adjoins  him  to  Himself.  And  thus  he  can  be  in  His 
heaven  with  the  angels,  and  live  to  eternity.  And  even  if  a 
man  lives  as  a  wild  beast,  and  loves  nothing  whatever  but 
himself  and  what  regards  himself,  yet  so  great  is  the  Lord's 
mercy — for  it  is  Divine  and  Infinite — that  He  does  not  leave 
him,  but  continually  breathes  into  him  His  own  life,  through 
the  angels ;  and  even  supposing  that  he  receives  it  no  other- 
wise, it  still  causes  him  to  be  able  to  think,  to  reflect,  to  under- 
stand whether  a  thing  is  good  or  evil — in  relation  to  what  is 
moral,  civil,  worldly,  or  corporeal — and  therefore  whether  it  is 
true  or  false. 

715.  As  the  most  ancient  people  knew,  and  when  they  were  in 
self-humiliation  acknowledged, that  they  were  nothing  but  beasts 
and  wild  beasts,  and  were  men  solely  by  virtue  of  what  they  had 
from  the  Lord,  therefore  whatever  pertained  to  themselves  they 
not  only  likened  to  but  called  beasts  and  birds ;  things  of  the  will 
they  compared  to  beasts,  and  called  beasts ;  and  things  of  the 
understanding  they  compared  to  and  called  birds.     But  they 
distinguished  between  good  affections  and  evil  affections.  Good 
affections  they  compared  to  lambs,  sheep,  kids,  she-goats,  he- 
goats,  rams,  heifers,  oxen — for  the  reason  that  they  were  good 
and  gentle,  and  serviceable  to  life,  since  they  could  be  eaten, 
and  their  skins  and  wool  could  furnish  clothing.     These  are 
the  principal  clean  beasts.    But  those  which  are  evil  and  fierce, 
and  not  serviceable  to  life,  are  unclean  beasts. 

716.  That  holy  things  are  signified  by  "seven"  is  evident 
from  what  has  been  said  before  respecting  the  seventh  day,  or 
the  sabbath  (n.  84—87),  namely,  that  the  Lord  is  the  seventh 
day ;  and  that  from  Him  every  celestial  church,  or  celestial 
man,  is  a  seventh  day,  and  indeed  the  celestial  itself,  which  is 
most  holy  because  it  is  from  the  Lord  alone.     For  this  reason, 
in  the  Word,  "  seven"  signifies  what  is  holy ;  and  in  fact,  as 

VOL.  I.— 21 


322  GENESIS  [N.  n0 

here,  in  the  internal  sense  partakes  not  at  ail  of  the  idea  of 
number.  For  they  who  are  in  the  internal  sense,  as  angels 
and  angelic  spirits  are,  do  not  even  know  what  number  is,  and 
therefore  not  what  seven  is.  Therefore  it  is  not  meant  here 
that  seven  pairs  were  to  be  taken  of  all  the  clean  beasts ;  or 
that  there  was  so  much  of  good  in  proportion  to  evil  as  seven 
to  two ;  but  that  the  things  of  the  will  with  which  this  man  of 
the  church  was  furnished  were  goods,  which  are  holy,  whereby 
he  could  be  regenerated,  as  was  said  above.  [2]  That  "  seven" 
signifies  what  is  holy,  or  holy  things,  is  evident  from  the  rit- 
uals in  the  representative  church,  wherein  the  number  seven 
so  frequently  occurs.  For  example,  they  were  to  sprinkle  of 
the  blood  and  the  oil  seven  times,  as  related  in  Leviticus : — 

Moses  took  the  anointing  oil,  and  anointed  the  tabernacle  and  all  that 
was  therein,  and  sanctified  them  ;  and  he  sprinkled  thereof  upon  the  altar 
seven  times,  and  anointed  the  altar  and  all  its  vessels,  to  sanctify  them 
(viii.  10,  11). 

Here  "  seven  times"  would  be  entirely  without  significance  if 
what  is  holy  were  not  thus  represented.  And  in  another  place  : 
When  Aaron  came  into  the  holy  place  it  is  said : — 

He  shall  take  of  the  blood  of  the  bullock  and  sprinkle  with  his  finger 
upon  the  faces  of  the  mercy-seat  toward  the  east ;  and  before  the  mercy- 
seat  shall  he  sprinkle  of  the  blood  with  his  finger  seven  times. 

And  so  at  the  altar : — 

He  shall  sprinkle  of  the  blood  upon  it  with  his  finger  seven  times,  and 
cleanse  it  and  sanctify  it  (Lev.  xvi.  14,  19). 

The  particulars  here,  each  and  all,  signify  the  Lord  Himself, 
and  therefore  the  holy  of  love ;  that  is  to  say,  the  "  blood," 
the  "  mercy -seat,"  and  also  the  "  altar,"  and  the  "  east,"  toward 
which  the  blood  was  to  be  sprinkled,  and  therefore  also  "  seven." 
[3]  And  likewise  in  the  sacrifices,  of  which  in  Leviticus : — 

If  a  soul  shall  sin  through  error,  and  if  the  anointed  priest  shall  sin  so 
as  to  bring  guilt  on  the  people,  he  shall  slay  the  bullock  before  Jehovah, 
and  the  priest  shall  dip  his  finger  in  the  blood,  and  sprinkle  of  the  blood 
seven  times  before  Jehovah,  toward  the  veil  of  the  sanctuary  (iv.  2,  3,  6). 

Here  in  like  manner  "  seven"  signifies  what  is  holy ;  because 
the  subject  treated  of  is  expiation,  which  is  of  the  Lord  alone, 
and  therefore  the  subject  treated  of  is  the  Lord.  Similar  rites 


N.  716]  CHAPTER   VII.  VER.  2  323 

were  also  instituted  in  respect  to  the  cleansing  of  leprosy,  con- 
cerning which  in  Leviticus : — 

Of  the  blood  of  the  bird,  with  cedar  wood,  and  scarlet,  and  hyssop, 
the  priest  shall  sprinkle  upon  him  that  is  to  be  cleansed  from  the  leprosy 
seven  times,  and  shall  make  him  clean.  In  like  manner  he  was  to  sprinkle 
of  the  oil  that  was  upon  the  palm  of  his  left  hand  seven  times  before  Je- 
hovah. And  so  in  a  house  where  there  was  leprosy,  he  was  to  take  cedar 
wood  and  hyssop  and  scarlet,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  bird  sprinkle 
seven  times  (xiv.  6,  7,  27,  51). 

Here  any  one  may  see  that  there  is  nothing  at  all  in  the  "  cedar 
wood,"  the  "  scarlet,"  the  "  oil,"  the  "  blood  of  a  bird,"  nor  yet 
in  "  seven,"  except  from  the  fact  that  they  are  representative 
of  holy  things.  Take  away  from  them  what  is  holy,  and  all 
that  remains  is  dead,  or  profanely  idolatrous.  But  when  they 
signify  holy  things  there  is  Divine  worship  therein,  which  is 
internal,  and  is  only  represented  by  the  externals.  The  Jews 
indeed  could  not  know  what  these  things  signified;  nor  does 
any  one  at  the  present  day  know  what  was  signified  by  the 
"cedar  wood,"  the  "hyssop,"  the  "scarlet,"  and  the  "bird." 
But  if  they  had  only  been  willing  to  think  that  holy  things 
were  involved  which  they  did  not  know,  and  so  had  worshiped 
the  Lord,  or  the  Messiah  who  was  to  come,  who  would  heal 
them  of  their  leprosy — that  is,  of  their  profanation  of  holy 
things — they  might  have  been  saved.  For  they  who  so  think 
and  believe  are  at  once  instructed  in  the  other  life,  if  they  de- 
sire, as  to  what  each  and  all  things  represented.  [4]  And  in 
like  manner  it  was  commanded  respecting  the  red  heifer : — 

The  priest  shall  take  of  her  blood  with  his  finger  and  sprinkle  of  her 
blood  toward  the  face  of  the  tent  of  meeting  seven  times  (Num.  xix.  4). 

As  the  "  seventh  day"  or  "  sabbath"  signified  the  Lord,  and 
from  Him  the  celestial  man,  and  the  celestial  itself,  the  seventh 
day  in  the  Jewish  Church  was  of  all  religious  observances  the 
most  holy ;  and  hence  came  the  "  sabbath  of  sabbath,"  in  the 
seventh  year  (Lev.  xxv.  4),  and  the  "jubilee"  that  was  pro- 
claimed after  the  seven  sabbaths  of  years,  or  after  seven  times 
seven  years  (xxv.  8,  9).  That  in  the  highest  sense  "seven" 
signifies  the  Lord,  and  hence  the  holy  of  love,  is  evident  also 
from  the  golden  candlestick  and  its  seven  lamps  (concerning 


324  GENESIS  [N.  716 

which  in  Exod.  xxv.  31-33,  37 ;  xxxvii.  17-19,  23 ;  Num.  viii. 
2,  3 ;  Zech.  iv.  2)  and  of  which  it  is  thus  written  by  John : — 

Seven  golden  lampstands  ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  lampstands 
One  like  unto  the  Son  of  man  (Rev.  i.  12,  13). 

It  very  clearly  appears  in  this  passage  that  the  "  lampstand 
with  the  seven  lamps"  signifies  the  Lord,  and  that  the  "  lamps" 
are  the  holy  things  of  love,  or  celestial  things ;  and  therefore 
they  were  "  seven."  [5]  And  again  : — 

Out  of  the  throne  went  forth  seven  torches  of  fire,  burning  before  the 
throne,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God  (Rev.  iv.  5). 

Here  the  "  seven  torches"  that  went  forth  out  of  the  throne  of 
the  Lord  are  the  seven  lights,  or  lamps.  The  same  is  signified 
wherever  the  number  "  seven"  occurs  in  the  Prophets,  as  in 
Isaiah : — 

The  light  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  the  light 
of  the  sun  shall  be  sevenfold,  as  the  light  of  seven  days,  in  the  day  that 
Jehovah  bindeth  up  the  breach  of  His  people  (xxx.  26). 

Here  the  "  sevenfold  light,  as  the  light  of  seven  days,"  does 
not  signify  sevenfold,  but  the  holy  of  the  love  signified  by  the 
"  sun."  See  also  what  was  said  and  shown  above  respecting 
the  number  "  seven"  (chapter  iv.  verse  15).  From  all  this  again 
it  is  clearly  evident  that  whatever  numbers  are  used  in  the 
Word  never  mean  numbers  (as  was  also  shown  before,  chapter 
vi.  verse  3). 

717.  It  is  also  evident  from  all  this  that  the  subject  here 
treated  of  is  the  things  of  man's  will,  or  the  good  and  holy 
things  in  him  which  are  predicated  of  the  will.     For  it  is  said 
that  he  should  "  take  of  the  clean  beast  by  sevens ;"  and  the 
same  is  said  in  the  following  verse  concerning  the  "fowl." 
But  in  the  preceding  chapter  (verses  19,  20),  it  is  not  said 
"that  he  should  "  take  by  sevens,"  but  by  "  twos,"  or  pairs ;  be- 
cause there  things  of  the  understanding  are  treated  of,  which 
are  not  holy  in  themselves,  but  are  holy  from  love,  which  is 
of  the  will. 

718.  That  by  "  man  (vir)  and  wife"  is  signified  that  the 
truths  were  conjoined  with  goods,  is  evident  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  "man"  as  being  truth,  which  is  of  the  understanding, 
and  from  the  signification  of  "  wife"  as  being  good,  which  is 


N.  718]  CHAPTER   VII.  VER.  2  325 

of  the  will  (concerning  which  before),  and  also  from  the  fact 
that  man  has  not  the  least  of  thought,  nor  the  least  of  affec- 
tion and  action,  in  which  there  is  not  a  kind  of  marriage  of 
the  understanding  and  the  will.  Without  a  kind  of  marriage, 
nothing  ever  exists  or  is  produced.  In  the  very  organic  forms 
of  man,  both  composite  and  simple,  and  even  in  the  most 
simple,  there  is  a  passive  and  an  active,  which,  if  they  were 
not  coupled  as  in  a  marriage,  like  that  of  man  and  wife,  could 
not  even  be  there,  still  less  produce  anything,  and  the  case  is 
the  same  throughout  universal  nature.  These  incessant  mar- 
riages derive  their  source  and  origin  from  the  heavenly  mar- 
riage ;  and  thereby  there  is  impressed  upon  everything  in  uni- 
versal nature,  both  animate  and  inanimate,  an  idea  of  the 
Lord's  kingdom. 

719.  That  evil  affections  are  signified  by  the  "beasts  not 
clean,"  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  and  shown  before 
respecting  the  clean  beasts.  They  are  called  "  clean"  because 
they  are  gentle,  good,  and  useful.  The  unclean — of  which 
there  are  genera  and  species — are  the  contrary,  being  tierce, 
evil,  and  not  useful.  In  the  Word  also  they  are  described  as 
wolves,  bears,  foxes,  swine,  and  many  others ;  and  various  cu- 
pidities and  evil  dispositions  are  signified  by  them.  As  to  its 
being  here  said  that  unclean  beasts  also  (that  is,  evil  affections) 
should  be  brought  into  the  ark,  the  truth  is  that  the  man  of 
that  church  is  here  described  such  as  he  was  in  character,  and 
this  by  the  ark,  and  therefore  by  the  things  that  were  in  the 
ark,  or  that  were  brought  into  the  ark;  that  is  to  say,  the 
things  are  described  that  were  in  the  man  before  he  was  re- 
generated. There  were  in  him  the  truths  and  goods  with 
which  he  had  been  furnished  and  gifted  by  the  Lord  before 
regeneration ;  for  without  truths  and  goods  no  one  can  ever  be 
regenerated.  But  here  the  evils  that  were  in  him  are  spoken 
of,  and  are  signified  by  the  unclean  beasts.  There  are  evils 
in  man  which  must  be  dispersed  while  he  is  being  regenerated, 
that  is,  which  must  be  loosened  and  attempered  by  goods ;  for 
no  actual  and  hereditary  evil  in  man  can  be  so  dispersed  as  to 
be  abolished.  It  still  remains  implanted ;  and  can  only  be  so 
far  loosened  and  attempered  by  goods  from  the  Lord  that  it 
does  not  injure,  and  does  not  appear,  which  is  an  arcanum 


326  GENESIS  [N.  719 

hitherto  unknown.  Actual  evils  are  those  which  are  loosened 
and  attempered,  and  not  hereditary  evils ;  which  also  is  a 
thing  unknown. 

720.  That  "  pairs"  signify  things  relatively  profane,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  signification  of  the  number  "  two."     A  "  pair," 
or  "two,"  not  only  signifies  marriage  (and  is,  when  predicated 
of  the  heavenly  marriage,  a  holy  number),  but  it  also  signifies 
the  same  as  "  six."     That  is  to  say,  as  the  six  days  of  labor 
are  related  to  the  seventh  day  of  rest,  or  the  holy  day,  so  is 
the  number  "  two"  related  to  "  three ;"  and  therefore  the  third 
day  in  the  Word  is  taken  for  the  seventh,  and  involves  almost 
the  same,  on  account  of  the  Lord's  resurrection  on  the  third 
day.     And  hence  the  Lord's  coming  into  the  world,  and  in 
glory,  and  every  coming  of  the  Lord,  is  described  equally  by 
the  "  seventh"  and  by  the  "  third"  day.     For  this  reason  the 
two  days  that  precede  are  not  holy,  but  relatively  are  profane. 
Thus  in  Hosea : — 

Come  and  let  us  return  unto  Jehovah,  for  He  hath  wounded,  and  He 
will  heal  us  ;  He  hath  smitten  and  He  will  bind  us  up.  After  two  days 
He  will  revive  us ;  on  the  third  day  He  will  raise  us  up,  and  we  shall  live 
before  Him  (vi.  1,  2). 

And  in  Zechariah : — 

It  shall  come  to  pass  in  all  the  land,  saith  Jehovah,  that  two  parts 
therein  shall  be  cut  off  and  die,  and  the  third  shall  be  left  therein  ;  and 
I  will  bring  the  third  part  through  the  fire,  and  will  refine  them  as  silver 
is  refined  (xiii.  8,  9). 

And  that  silver  was  most  pure  when  purified  seven  times  ap- 
pears in  Psalm  xii.  6 ;  from  all  of  which  it  is  plain  that  as 
"  seven"  does  not  signify  seven,  but  things  that  are  holy,  so 
by  "pairs"  are  signified  not  pairs,  but  things  relatively  pro- 
fane ;  and  therefore  the  meaning  is  not  that  the  unclean  beasts, 
or  evil  affections,  in  comparison  with  the  clean  beasts,  or  good 
affections,  were  few  in  the  proportion  of  two  to  seven,  for  the 
evils  in  man  are  far  more  numerous  than  the  goods. 

721.  That  by  "man  and  wife"  are  signified  falsities  con- 
joined with  evils,  is  evident  from  what  was  said  just  above. 
For  here  "  man  and  wife"  is  predicated  of  the  unclean  beasts ; 
but  before  of  the  clean;  and  therefore  the  expression  there 
signified  truths  conjoined  with  goods,  but  here  falsities  con- 


N.  721]  CHAPTER   VII.  VER.  2  327 

joined  with  evils.     Such  as  is  the  subject,  such  is  the  predi- 
cation. 

722.  Verse  3.   Of  the  fowl  of  the  heavens  also  by  sevens,  male 
and  female,  to  keep  seed  alive  upon  the  faces  of  the  whole  earth. 
By  "the  fowl  of  the  heavens,"  are  signified   things  of  the 
understanding ;  by  "  sevens,"  those  which  are  holy ;  by  "  male 
and  female,"  truths  and  goods ;  "  to  keep  seed  alive  upon  the 
faces  of  the  whole  earth,"  signifies  truths  of  faith. 

723.  That  the  "  fowl  of  the  heavens"  signifies  things  of  the 
understanding,  has  been  shown  before,  and  therefore  need  not 
be  dwelt  upon. 

724.  Likewise  that  "  sevens"  signifies  things  that  are  holy, 
and  here  holy  truths,  which  are  holy  from  the  fact  that  they 
come  from  goods.     No  truth  is  holy  unless  it  comes  from 
good.     A  man  may  utter  many  truths  from  the  Word,  and 
thus  from  memory,  but  if  it  is  not  love  or  charity  that  brings 
them  forth,  nothing  holy  can  be  predicated  of  them.     But  if 
he  has  love  and  charity,  then  he  acknowledges  and  believes, 
and  this  from  the  heart.     And  it  is  the  same  with  faith,  of 
which  so  many  say  that  it  alone  saves :   if  there  is  no  love  or 
charity  from  which  the  faith  comes,  there  is  no  faith.     Love 
and  charity  are  what  make  faith  holy.     The  Lord  is  in  love 
and  charity,  but  not  in  faith  that  is  separated  from  charity 
In  faith  separated  is  the  man  himself,  in  whom  there  is  nothing 
but  uncleanness.     For  when  faith  is  separated  from  love,  his 
own  praise,  or  his  own  advantage,  is  the  moving  cause  that  is 
in  his  heart,  and  from  which  he  speaks.     This  every  one  may 
know  from  his  own  experience.     Whoever  tells  any  one  that 
he  loves  him,  that  he  prefers  him  to  others,  that  he  acknowl- 
edges him  as  the  best  of  men,  and  the  like,  and  yet  in  heart 
thinks  otherwise,  does  this  only  with  his  mouth,  and  in  heart 
denies,  and  sometimes  makes  sport  of  him.    And  it  is  the  same 
with  faith.     This  has  been  made  very  well  known  to  me  by 
much  experience.      They  who  in  the  life  of   the  body  have 
preached  the  Lord  and  faith  with  so  much  eloquence,  together 
with  feigned  devoutness,  as  to  astonish  their  hearers,  and  have 
not  done  it  from  the  heart,  in  the  other  life  are  among  those 
who  bear  the  greatest  hatred  toward  the  Lord,  and  who  perse- 
cute the  faithful. 


328  GENESIS  [N.  725 

725.  That  by  "male  and  female"  are  signified  truths  and 
goods,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  and  shown  before, 
namely,  that  "  man"  and  "  male"  signify  truth,  and  "  wife" 
and  "female"  good.    But  "male  and  female"  are  predicated  of 
things  of  the  understanding,  and  "  man  and  wife,"  of  things 
of  the  will,  for  the  reason  that  marriage  is  represented  by  man 
and  wife,  and  not  so  much  by  male  and  female.    For  truth  can 
never  of  itself  enter  into  marriage  with  good,  but  good  can 
with  truth ;  because  there  is  no  truth  which  is  not  produced 
from  good  and   thus  coupled  with    good.      If  you  withdraw 
good  from  truth,  nothing  whatever  remains  but  words. 

726.  To  keep  seed  alive  upon  the  faces  of  the  whole  earth. 
That  this  signifies  truths  of  faith,  is  evident  from  the  seed 
being  kept  alive  by  this  church.     By  "  seed"  is  meant  faith. 
The  rest  of  the  descendants  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  de- 
stroyed the  celestial  and  spiritual  seed  within  them,  by  foul 
cupidities  and  direful   persuasions.     But   that  celestial  seed 
might  not  perish,  they  who  are  called  "  Noah"  were  regener- 
ated, and   this    by  means  of  spiritual    seed.     These   are  the 
things  which  are  signified.     Those  are  said  to  be  "  kept  alive" 
who  receive  the  Lord's  life,  because  life  is  in  those  things  only 
which  are  of  the  Lord,  as  must  be  evident  to  every  one  from 
the  fact  that  there  is  no  life  in  those  things  which  are  not  of 
eternal  life,  or  which  do  not  look  to  eternal  life.     Life  that  is 
not  eternal  is  not  life,  but  in  a  brief  time  perishes.     Nor  can 
being  (esse)  be  predicated  of  things  that  cease  to  be,  but  only 
of  those  that  never  cease  to  be.     Thus  living  and  being  are 
within  those  things  only  which  are  of  the  Lord,  or  Jehovah ; 
because  all  being  and  living,  to  eternity,  is  of  Him.    By  eternal 
life  is  meant  eternal  happiness,  respecting  which  see  what  was 
said  and  shown  above  (n.  290). 

727.  Verse  4.  For  in  yet  seven  days  I  will  cause  it  to  rain 
upon  the  earth  forty  days  and  forty  nights  ;  and  every  substance 
that  I  have  made  will  I  destroy  from  off  the  faces  of  the  ground. 
"  In  yet  seven  days,"  signifies  the  beginning  of  temptation ; 
"  to  rain,"  signifies  temptation ;  "  forty  days  and  nights,"  sig- 
nifies the  duration  of  temptation ;  "  I  will  destroy  every  sub- 
stance that  I  have  made  from  off  the  faces  of  the  ground," 
signifies  the  Own  of  man,  which  is  as  it  were  destro}*ed  when 


N.  727]  CHAPTER   VTL  VER.  4  329 

he  is  being  regenerated.  The  same  words  signify  also  the 
extinction  of  those  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  who  destroyed 
themselves. 

728.  That  "in  yet  seven  days"  here  signifies  the  beginning 
of  temptation,  is  evident  from  the  internal  sense  of  all  things 
mentioned  in  this  verse,  in  that  the  temptation  of  the  man 
called  "  Noah"  is  treated  of.  It  treats  in  general  both  of  his 
temptation  and  of  the  total  vastation  of  those  who  were  of 
the  Most  Ancient  Church  and  had  become  such  as  has  been  de- 
scribed. Therefore  "  in  yet  seven  days,"  signifies  not  only  the 
beginning  of  temptation,  but  also  the  end  of  vastation.  The 
reason  why  these  things  are  signified  by  "  in  yet  seven  days," 
is  that  "  seven"  is  a  holy  number,  as  was  said  and  shown  before 
(at  verse  2  of  this  chapter,  and  in  chapter  iv.  verses  15,  24,  and 
at  n.  84—87).  "  In  seven  days,"  signifies  the  Lord's  coming 
into  the  world,  also  His  coming  into  glory,  and  every  coming 
of  the  Lord  in  particular.  It  is  an  attendant  feature  of  every 
coining  of  the  Lord  that  it  is  a  beginning  to  those  who  are 
being  regenerated,  and  is  the  end  of  those  who  are  being 
vastated.  Thus  to  the  man  of  this  church  the  Lord's  coming 
was  the  beginning  of  temptation ;  for  when  man  is  tempted 
he  begins  to  become  a  new  man  and  to  be  regenerated.  And 
at  the  same  time  it  was  the  end  of  those  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church  who  had  become  such  that  they  could  not  but  perish. 
Just  so  when  the  Lord  came  into  the  world — the  church  at 
that  time  was  in  its  last  state  of  vastation,  and  was  then  made 
new.  [2]  That  these  things  are  signified  by  "in  yet  seven 
days,"  is  evident  in  Daniel : — 

Seventy  weeks  are  decreed  upon  thy  people,  and  upon  the  city  of  thy 
holiness,  to  consummate  the  transgression,  to  seal  up  sins,  and  to  purge 
away  iniquity,  and  to  bring  in  the  righteousness  of  the  ages,  and  to  seal 
up  vision  and  prophet,  and  to  anoint  the  holy  of  holies.  Know  therefore 
and  perceive,  from  the  going  forth  of  the  word  to  restore  and  to  build 
Jerusalem,  unto  Messiah  the  Prince,  shall  be  seven  weeks  (ix.  24,  25). 

Here  "  seventy  weeks"  and  "  seven  weeks"  signify  the  same 
as  "seven  days,"  namely,  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  But  as 
here  there  is  a  manifest  prophecy,  the  times  are  still  more 
sacredly  and  certainly  designated  by  septenary  numbers.  It 
is  evident  then  not  only  that  "  seven"  thus  applied  to  times 


330  GENESIS  [N.  728 

signifies  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  but  that  the  beginning  also 
of  a  new  church  at  that  time  is  signified  by  the  "  anointing  of 
the  holy  of  holies,"  and  by  Jerusalem  being  "restored  and 
built."  And  at  the  same  time  the  last  vastation  is  signified 
by  the  words,  "  Seventy  weeks  are  decreed  upon  the  city  of 
holiness,  to  consummate  the  transgression,  and  to  seal  up 
sins."  [3]  So  in  other  places  in  the  Word,  as  in  Ezekiel, 
where  he  says  of  himself : — 

I  came  to  them  of  the  captivity  at  Tel-abib,  that  sat  by  the  river 
Chebar,  and  I  sat  there  astonished  among  them  seven  days  ;  and  it  came 
to  pass  at  the  end  of  seven  days  that  the  word  of  Jehovah  came  unto 
me  (Hi.  15,  16). 

Here  also  "seven  days"  denote  the  beginning  of  visitation; 
for  after  seven  days,  while  he  sat  among  those  who  were  in 
captivity,  the  word  of  Jehovah  came  unto  him.  Again : — 

They  shall  bury  Gog,  that  they  may  cleanse  the  land,  seven  months  ; 
at  the  end  of  seven  months  they  shall  search  (xxxix.  12,  14). 

Here  likewise  "  seven"  denotes  the  last  limit  of  vastation,  and 
the  first  of  visitation.  In  Daniel: — 

The  heart  of  Nebuchadnezzar  shall  they  change  from  man,  and  the 
heart  of  a  beast  shall  be  given  unto  him,  and  seven  times  shall  pass  over 
him  (iv.  16,  25,  32), 

denoting  in  like  manner  the  end  of  vastation,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  a  new  man.  [4]  The  "  seventy  years"  of  Babylonish 
captivity  represented  the  same.  Whether  the  number  is 
"  seventy"  or  "  seven"  it  involves  the  same,  be  it  seven  days 
or  seven  years,  or  seven  ages  which  make  seventy  years.  Vas- 
tation was  represented  by  the  years  of  captivity ;  the  beginning 
of  a  new  church  by  the  liberation  and  the  rebuilding  of  the 
temple.  Similar  things  were  also  represented  by  the  service 
of  Jacob  with  Laban,  where  these  words  occur : — 

I  will  serve  thee  seven  years  for  Rachel ;  and  Jacob  served  seven 
years  for  Rachel ;  and  Laban  said,  Fulfill  this  week,  and  I  will  give  thee 
her  also,  for  the  service  which  thou  shalt  serve  with  me  yet  seven  other 
years ;  and  Jacob  did  so,  and  fulfilled  this  week  ( Gen.  xxix.  18,  20, 
27,  28). 

Here  the  "  seven  years"  of  service  involve  the  same,  and  also 
that  after  the  days  of  seven  years  came  the  marriage  and 


N.  728]  CHAPTER   VII.  VER.  4  331 

freedom.  This  period  of  seven  years  was  called  a  "  week,"  as 
also  in  Daniel.  [5]  The  same  was  represented  too  in  the  com- 
mand that  they  should  compass  the  city  of  Jericho  "  seven 
times,"  and  the  wall  would  then  fall  down;  and  it  is  said 
that : — 

On  the  seventh  day  they  rose  with  the  dawn  and  compassed  the  city 
after  the  same  manner  seven  times,  and  it  came  to  pass  at  the  seventh 
time  the  seven  priests  blew  the  seven  trumpets  and  the  wall  fell  down 
(Josh.  vi.  10-20). 

If  these  things  had  not  likewise  had  such  a  signification,  the 
command  that  they  should  compass  the  city  seven  times,  and 
that  there  should  be  seven  priests  and  seven  trumpets  would 
never  have  been  given.  From  these  and  many  other  passages 
(as  Job  ii.  13 ;  Rev.  xv.  1,  6,  7 ;  xxi.  9),  it  is  evident  that  "  in 
seven  days"  signifies  the  beginning  of  a  new  church,  and  the 
end  of  the  old.  In  the  passage  before  us,  as  it  treats  both  of 
the  man  of  the  church  called  "  Noah"  and  his  temptation,  and 
of  the  last  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  which  de- 
stroyed itself,  "  in  yet  seven  days,"  can  have  no  other  signifi- 
cation than  the  beginning  of  Noah's  temptation  and  the  end 
or  final  devastation  and  expiration  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church. 

729.  That  by  "  raining"  is  signified  temptation,  is  evident 
from  what  was  said  and  shown  in  the  introduction  to  this  chap- 
ter, namely,  that  a  "  flood"  or  "  inundation"  of  waters,  which  is 
here  described  by  "  rain,"  signifies  not  only  temptation,  but  also 
vastation.     And  the  same  will  also  appear  from  what  is  to  be 
said  concerning  the  flood  in  the  following  pages. 

730.  That  by  "  forty  days  and  nights"  is  signified  the  dura- 
tion of  temptation,  is  plainly  evident  from  the  Word  of  the 
Lord.    That  "  forty"  signifies  the  duration  of  temptation,  comes 
from  the  fact  that  the  Lord  suffered  Himself  to  be  tempted  for 
forty  days  (as  is  stated  in  Mattheiv  iv.  1,  2  ;  Luke  iv.  2 ;  Mark  i. 
13).    And  as  the  things  instituted  in  the  Jewish  and  the  other 
representative  churches  before  the  coming  of  the  Lord  were  each 
and  all  types  of  Him,  so  also  were  the  forty  days  and  nights, 
— in  that  they  represented  and  signified  in  general  all  tempta- 
tion, and  specifically  the  duration  of  the  temptation,  whatever 
that  might  be.     And  because  a  man  when  in  temptation  is  in 


332  GENESIS  [N.  730 

vastation  as  to  all  things  that  are  of  his  Own,  and  of  the  body 
(for  the  things  that  are  of  his  Own  and  of  the  body  must  die, 
and  this  through  combats  and  temptations,  before  he  is  born 
again  a  new  man,  or  is  made  spiritual  and  heavenly),  for  this 
reason  also  "forty  days  and  nights"  signify  the  duration  of 
vastation ;  and  it  is  the  same  here  where  the  subject  is  both 
the  temptation  of  the  man  of  the  new  church,  called  "  Noah," 
and  the  devastation  of  the  antediluvians.  [2]  That  the  num- 
ber "  forty"  signifies  the  duration  of  both  temptation  and  vas- 
tation, whether  greater  or  less,  is  evident  in  Ezekiel : — 

Thou  shalt  lie  on  thy  right  side,  and  shalt  bear  the  iniquity  of  the 
house  of  Judah  forty  days,  each  day  for  a  year  have  I  appointed  it  unto 
thee  (iv.  6). 

"Forty"  denotes  here  the  duration  of  the  vastation  of  the 
Jewish  Church,  and  also  a  representation  of  the  Lord's  temp- 
tation ;  for  it  is  said  that  he  should  "  bear  the  iniquity  of  the 
house  of  Judah.'"  Again  : — 

I  will  make  the  land  of  Egypt  wastes,  a  waste  of  desolation  ;  no  foot 
of  man  shall  pass  through  it,  nor  foot  of  beast  shall  pass  through  it,  and 
it  shall  not  be  inhabited  forty  years  ;  and  I  will  make  the  land  of  Egypt 
a  desolation  in  the  midst  of  the  desolate  lands,  and  her  cities  in  the  midst 
of  the  cities  that  are  laid  waste  shall  be  a  solitude  forty  years  (xxix.  10-12). 

Here  also  "  forty"  denotes  the  duration  of  vastation  and  deso- 
lation ;  and  in  the  internal  sense  forty  years  are  not  meant, 
but  only,  in  general,  the  desolation  of  faith,  whether  within  a 
less  or  greater  time.  In  John : — 

The  court  that  is  without  the  temple  cast  out  and  measure  it  not ;  for 
it  hath  been  given  unto  the  nations,  who  shall  tread  the  holy  city  under 
foot  forty  and  two  months  (Rev.  xi.  2). 

[3]  And  again  : — 

There  was  given  unto  the  beast  a  mouth  speaking  great  things  and 
blasphemies  ;  and  there  was  given  unto  him  power  to  make  war  forty  and 
two  months  (xiii.  6), 

denoting  the  duration  of  vastation,  for  any  one  may  know  that 
forty-two  months  of  time  is  not  meant.  But  the  origin  of  the 
use  of  the  number  "  forty-two"  in  this  passage  (which  has  the 
same  signification  as  the  number  "  forty")  is  that  "  seven  days" 
signify  the  end  of  vastation,  and  a  new  beginning,  and  "  six 
days"  signify  labor,  from  the  six  days  of  labor  or  combat.  Seven 


N.  730]  CHAPTER   VII.  VER.  4  333 

are  therefore  multiplied  by  six,  and  thus  give  rise  to  the  num- 
ber forty -two,  which  signifies  the  duration  of  the  vastation  and 
the  duration  of  the  temptation,  or  the  labor  and  combat,  of  the 
man  who  is  to  be  regenerated,  in  which  there  is  holiness.  But, 
as  is  evident  from  these  passages  in  the  Apocalypse,  the  round 
number  "  forty"  was  taken  for  the  not  so  round  number  "  forty- 
two."  [4]  That  the  Israelitish  people  were  led  about  for  forty 
years  in  the  wilderness  before  they  were  brought  into  the  land 
of  Canaan,  in  like  manner  represented  and  signified  the  dura- 
tion of  temptation,  and  also  the  duration  of  vastation;  the 
duration  of  temptation,  by  their  being  afterwards  brought  into 
the  holy  land ;  the  duration  of  vastation,  by  the  fact  that  all 
above  the  age  of  twenty  years,  who  went  out  of  Egypt,  except 
Joshua  and  Caleb,  died  in  the  wilderness  (Num.  xiv.  33-35 ; 
xxxii.  8—14).  The  things  against  which  they  so  often  murmured 
signify  temptations,  and  the  plagues  and  destruction  that  so 
frequently  came  upon  them  signify  vastations.  That  these 
signify  temptations  and  vastations  will  of  the  Lord's  Divine 
mercy  be  shown  in  that  place.  Of  these  things  it  is  written  in 
Moses : — 

Thou  shalt  remember  all  the  way  which  Jehovah  thy  God  hath  led  thee 
these  forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  to  afflict  thee,  to  tempt  thee,  to  know 
what  was  in  thine  heart,  whether  thou  wouldest  keep  His  commandments, 
or  no  (Deut.  viii.  2,  3,  16). 

That  Moses  was  forty  days  and  forty  nights  upon  Mount  Sinai, 
likewise  signifies  the  duration  of  the  temptation,  that  is,  it 
signifies  the  Lord's  temptation,  as  is  evident  from  his  abiding 
in  the  mount  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  neither  eating  bread 
nor  drinking  water,  supplicating  for  the  people  that  they  might 
not  be  destroyed  (Deut.  ix.  9,  11,  18,  25  to  the  end;  x.  10). 
[5]  The  reason  why  "  forty  days"  signify  the  duration  of  temp- 
tation is,  as  just  said,  that  the  Lord  suffered  Himself  to  be 
tempted  of  the  devil  forty  days.  And  therefore — as  all  things 
were  representative  of  the  Lord — when  the  idea  of  temptations 
was  present  with  the  angels,  that  idea  was  represented  in  the 
world  of  spirits  by  such  things  as  are  in  this  world,  as  is  the 
case  with  all  angelic  ideas  during  their  descent  into  the  world 
of  spirits  :  they  being  presented  representatively.  And  in  the 
same  way  the  idea  of  temptation  was  presented  by  the  num- 


334  GENESIS  [N.  730 

her  "forty"'  because  the  Lord  was  to  be  tempted  forty  days. 
With  the  Lord,  and  consequently  with  the  angelic  heaven,  it  is 
the  same  whether  a  thing  is  present  or  is  to  come ;  what  is  to 
come  is  present,  or  what  is  to  be  done  is  done.  From  this  came 
the  representation  of  temptations,  as  also  of  vastations,  in  the 
representative  church,  by  "  forty."  But  these  things  cannot  as 
yet  be  very  well  comprehended,  because  the  influx  of  the  angelic 
heaven  into  the  world  of  spirits  is  not  known,  nor  that  such 
is  the  nature  of  this  influx. 

731.  Every  substance  that  I  have  made  will  I  destroy  from 
off  the  faces  of  the  ground.    That  this  signifies  man's  Own, 
which  is  as  if  destroyed  when  vivified,  is  evident  from  what 
has  been  said  before  respecting  this  Own.    Man's  Own  is  all 
evil  and  falsity.     So  long  as  this  continues,  the  man  is  dead ; 
but  when  he  comes  into  temptations  it  is  dispersed,  that  is, 
loosened  and  tempered  by  truths  and  goods  from  the  Lord,  and 
thus  is  vivified  and  appears  as  if  it  were  not  present.     That  it 
does  not  appear  and  is  no  longer  hurtful,  is  signified  by  "  de- 
stroyed ;"  and  yet  it  is  not  destroyed,  but  remains.    It  is  almost 
as  with  black  and  white,  which  when  variously  modified  by  the 
rays  of  light  are  turned  into  beautiful  colors — such  as  blue, 
yellow,  and  purple — whereby,  according  to  their  arrangement 
are  presented  lovely  and  agreeable  tints,  as  in  flowers,  yet  re- 
maining radically  and  fundamentally  black  and  white.     But 
as  here  at  the  same  time  the  final  vastation  of  those  who  were 
of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  is  treated  of,  by  "  I  will  destroy 
every  existing  thing  that  I  have  made,  from  off  the  face  of  the 
ground,"  are  signified  those  who  perished  (as  likewise  in  the 
following  verse,  23).     The  "  substance  that  I  have  made,"  is 
all  that,  or  every  man,  in  which  there  was  heavenly  seed,  or 
who  was  of  the  church ;  and  therefore,  both  here  and  in  the 
following  verse,  "ground"  is  mentioned,  which  signifies  the 
man  of  the  church  in  whom  good  and  truth  have  been  im- 
planted.   This  seed,  in  those  called  "  Noah" — evils  and  falsities 
being  dispersed,  as  before  said — gradually  grew  up;  but  with 
the  antediluvians  who  perished  it  was  extinguished  by  tares. 

732.  Verse  5.  And  Noah  did  according  to  all  that  Jehovah 
commanded  him.     This  signifies  as  before,  that  thus  it  came  to 
pass.     Compare  the  preceding  chapter,  verse  22,  where  it  is 


N.  732]  CHAPTER   VH.   VER.   5  335 

said  twice  that  Noah  "did,"  here  only  once;  and  there  the 
name  "  God"  is  used,  but  here  "  Jehovah."  The  reason  is  that 
there  things  of  the  understanding  are  treated  of,  and  here  those 
of  the  will.  Things  of  the  understanding  regard  those  of  the 
will  as  being  different  and  distinct  from  themselves  ;  but  things 
of  the  will  regard  those  of  the  understanding  as  being  united, 
or  as  one,  with  them  ;  for  the  understanding  is  from  the  will. 
This  is  the  reason  why  it  is  there  twice  said  he  "  did,"  and 
here  only  once ;  and  also  why  the  name  "  God"  is  used,  and 
here  "  Jehovah.'' 

733.  Verse  6.  And  Noah  was  a  son  of  six  hundred  years, 
and  the  flood  of  waters  ivas  upon  the  earth.     "  Noah  was  a  son 
of  six  hundred  years,"  signifies  his  first  state  of  temptation ; 
"  the  flood  of  waters  was  upon  the  earth,"  signifies  the  begin- 
ning of  temptation. 

734.  In  the  preceding  chapter  (verse  13  to  the  end)  the 
truths  of  the  understanding  are  treated  of,  in  which  the  man 
of  the  church  called  "  Noah"  was  instructed  by  the  Lord  before 
he  was  regenerated ;  and  next  in  this  chapter  (verses  1-5),  the 
goods  of  the  will  are  treated  of,  with  which  also  he  was  en- 
dowed by  the  Lord.     As  both  are  treated  of,  it  appears  like  a 
repetition.    But  now  in  verses  6  to  11  his  temptation  is  treated 
of,  and  here  the  first  state  and  thus  the  beginning  of  tempta- 
tion ;  and,  as  every  one  can  see,  a  repetition  occurs  again.   For 
it  is  said  in  this  verse  that  "  Noah  was  a  son  of  six  hundred 
years,"   when  the  flood  came  upon  the    earth ;    and   in  the 
eleventh  verse  that  it  was  "  in  the  six  hundredth  year  of  his 
life,  in  the  second  month,  in  the  seventeenth  day  of  the  month." 
And  so  in  the  seventh  verse  it  is  said  that  Noah  went  into  the 
ark  with  his  sons  and  their  wives,  and  likewise  in  the  thir- 
teenth verse.     Again  it  is  said  in  the  eighth  and  ninth  verses 
that  the  beasts  went  in  unto  Noah  into  the  ark ;  and  also  in 
verses  14  to  16.    From  which  it  is  evident  that  here  too  there 
is  a  repetition  of  what  was  said  before.     Those  who  abide  in 
the  sense  of  the  letter  alone  cannot  know  but  that  it  is  a 
matter  of  history  thus  repeated.    But  here  as  elsewhere  there 
is  not  the  least  word  that  is  superfluous  and  vain ;  for  it  is  the 
Word  of  the  Lord.     There  is  therefore  no  repetition,  except 
with  another  signification.     And  here,  in  fact,  as  before,  the 


336  GENESIS  [N.  734 

signification  is  that  it  is  the  first  temptation,  which  is  tempta- 
tion as  to  things  of  his  understanding ;  but  afterwards  it  is 
his  temptation  as  to  things  of  the  will.  These  temptations 
follow  one  after  the  other  with  him  who  is  to  be  regenerated. 
For  to  be  tempted  as  to  things  of  the  understanding  is  quite 
another  thing  from  being  tempted  as  to  what  is  of  the  will. 
Temptation  as  to  things  of  the  understanding  is  light ;  but 
temptation  as  to  things  of  the  will  is  severe. 

735.  The  reason  why  temptation  as  to  things  of  the  under- 
standing, or  as  to  the  falsities  in  a  man,  is  light,  is  that  man 
is  in  the  fallacies  of  the  senses,  and  the  fallacies  of  the  senses 
are  such  that  they  cannot  but  enter,  and  are  therefore  also 
easily  dispelled.     Thus  it  is  with  all  who  abide  in  the  sense 
of  the  letter  of  the  Word  where  it  speaks  according  to  the 
apprehension  of  man,  and  therefore  according  to  the  fallacies 
of  his  senses.     If  they  simply  have  faith  in  these  things  be- 
cause it  is  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  then  notwithstanding  their 
being  in  fallacies  they  easily  suffer  themselves  to  be  instructed. 
As  for  example  :  a  man  who  believes  that  the  Lord  is  angry  and 
punishes  and  does  evil  to  the  wicked,  as  he  has  derived  this 
belief  from  the  sense  of  the  letter,  he  can  easily  be  informed 
what  the  real  truth  is.     And  so  if  one  simply  believes  that  he 
can  do  good  of  himself,  and  that  if  of  himself  he  is  good  he 
will  receive  reward  in  the  other  life,  he  also  can  easily  be  in- 
structed that  the  good  which  he  does  is  from  the  Lord,  and  the 
Lord  in  His  mercy  gives  the  reward  gratuitously.    And  there- 
fore when  such  come  into  temptation  as  to  matters  of  the  un- 
derstanding, or  as  to  such  fallacies,  they  can  be  only  lightly 
tempted.  And  this  is  the  first  temptation — and  it  hardly  appears 
as  temptation — which  is  now  treated  of.     But  it  is  otherwise 
with  those  who  do  not  in  simplicity  of  heart  believe  the  Word, 
but  confirm  themselves  in  fallacies  and  falsities  because  they 
favor  their  cupidities  ;  and  who  being  impelled  by  this  motive 
bring  together  many  reasonings  from  themselves  and  their 
memory-knowledges  (scientificis),  and  afterwards  confirm  the 
same  by  the  Word,  and  thus  impress  upon  themselves,  and 
persuade  themselves,  that  what  is  false  is  true. 

736.  As  regards  "  Noah,"  or  the  man  of  this  new  church, 
he  was  of  such  character  that  he  believed  in  simplicity  what 


N.  736]  CHAPTER   VII.  VER.  6  337 

he  had  from  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  which  were  matters  of 
doctrine,  collected  and  reduced  to  some  doctrinal  form  by  those 
who  were  called  "  Enoch."  And  he  was  of  an  entirely  different 
genius  from  the  antediluvians  who  perished,  called  "  Nephilim," 
who  immersed  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith  in  their  foul  cu- 
pidities, and  thereby  conceived  direful  persuasions,  from  which 
they  would  not  recede,  however  much  instructed  by  others  and 
shown  the  falsity  of  those  persuasions.  There  are  at  this  day 
also  men  of  the  one  genius,  or  nature,  and  men  of  the  other. 
Those  of  the  one  may  easily  be  regenerated,  but  those  of  the 
other  with  difficulty. 

737.  Noah  was  a  son  of  six  hundred  years.  That  this  signi- 
fies his  first  state  of  temptation,  is  evident,  because  here  and 
as  far  as  to  Heber  in  the  eleventh  chapter,  numbers  and  periods 
of  years  and  names  mean  nothing  else  than  actual  things  ; 
just  as  do  also  the  ages  and  all  the  names  in  the  fifth  chapter. 
That  "  six  hundred  years"  here  signify  the  first  state  of  temp- 
tation, is  evident  from  the  dominant  numbers  in  six  hundred, 
which  are  ten  and  six,  twice  multiplied  into  themselves.  A 
greater  or  less  number  from  the  same  factors  changes  nothing. 
As  regards  the  number  "  ten,"  it  has  been  shown  already  (at 
chapter  vi.  verse  3)  that  it  signifies  remains ;  and  that  "  six" 
here  signifies  labor  and  combat  is  evident  from  many  passages 
in  the  Word.  For  the  case  is  this :  In  what  has  gone  before 
the  subject  is  the  preparation  of  the  man  called  "Noah"  for 
temptation — that  he  was  furnished  by  the  Lord  with  truths  of 
the  understanding  and  goods  of  the  will.  These  truths  and 
goods  are  remains,  which  are  not  brought  out  so  as  to  be 
recognized  until  the  man  is  being  regenerated.  In  the  case  of 
those  who  are  being  regenerated  through  temptations,  the  re- 
mains in  a  man  are  for  the  angels  that  are  with  him,  who  draw 
out  from  them  the  things  wherewith  they  defend  the  man 
against  the  evil  spirits  who  excite  the  falsities  in  him,  and  thus 
assail  him.  As  the  remains  are  signified  by  "ten,"  and  the 
combats  by  "  six,"  for  this  reason  the  years  are  said  to  be  "  six 
hundred,"  in  which  the  dominant  numbers  are  ten  and  six,  and 
signify  a  state  of  temptation.  [2]  As  regards  the  number 
"  six"  in  particular  that  it  signifies  combat  is  evident  from 
the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  where  the  six  days  are  described 
VOL.  I.— 22 


338  GENESIS  [N.  737 

in  which  man  was  regenerated,  before  he  became  celestial,  and 
in  which  there  was  continual  combat,  but  on  the  seventh  day, 
rest.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  there  are  six  days  of  labor  and 
the  seventh  is  the  sabbath,  which  signifies  rest.  And  hence  it 
is  that  a  Hebrew  servant  served  six  years,  and  the  seventh 
year  was  free  (Exod.  xxi.  2 ;  Deut,  xv.  12 ;  Jer.  xxxiv.  14) ; 
also  that  six  years  they  sowed  the  land  and  gathered  in  the 
fruits  thereof,  but  the  seventh  year  omitted  to  sow  it  (Exod. 
xxiii.  10-12),  and  dealt  in  like  manner  with  the  vineyard; 
and  that  in  the  seventh  year  was  "  a  sabbath  of  sabbath  unto 
the  land,  a  sabbath  of  Jehovah"  (Lev.  xxv.  3,  4).  As  "  six" 
signifies  labor  and  combat,  it  also  signifies  the  dispersion  of 
falsities,  as  in  Ezekiel : — 

Behold  six  men  came  from  the  way  of  the  upper  gate  which  looketh 
toward  the  north,  and  every  one  had  his  weapon  of  dispersion  in  his 
hand  (ix.  2) ; 

and  again,  against  Gog : — 

I  will  make  thee  to  turn  again,  and  will  make  thee  a  sixth,  and  will 
cause  thee  to  come  up  from  the  sides  of  the  north  (xxxix.  2). 

Here  "  six"  and  "  to  reduce  to  a  sixth,"  denote  dispersion ;  the 
"  north,"  falsities ;  "  Gog,"  those  who  derive  matters  of  doc- 
trine from  things  external,  whereby  they  destroy  internal 
worship.  In  Job : — 

In  six  troubles  He  shall  deliver  thee,  yea,  in  the  seventh  there  shall 
no  evil  touch  thee  (v.  19), 

meaning  the  combat  of  temptations.  [3]  But  "  six"  occurs  in 
the  Word  where  it  does  not  signify  labor,  combat,  or  the  disper- 
sion of  falsities,  but  the  holy  of  faith,  because  of  its  relation  to 
"  twelve,"  which  signifies  faith  and  all  things  of  faith  in  one 
complex ;  and  to  "  three,"  which  signifies  the  holy  ;  whence  is 
derived  the  genuine  signification  of  the  number  "  six ;"  as  in 
Ezekiel  (chapter  xl.  verse  5),  where  the  reed  of  the  man,  with 
which  he  measured  the  holy  city  of  Israel,  was  "  six  cubits ;" 
and  in  other  places.  The  reason  of  this  derivation  is  that  the 
holy  of  faith  is  in  the  combats  of  temptation,  and  that  the 
six  days  of  labor  and  combat  look  to  the  holy  seventh  day. 

738.  Noah  is  here  called  "a  son  of  six  hundred  years,"  be- 
cause a  "  son"  signifies  truth  of  the  understanding,  as  before 


N.  738]  CHAPTER   VII.  VER.  6  339 

shown.  But  in  the  eleventh  verse  he  is  not  called  a  "  son," 
because  there  his  temptation  as  to  things  of  the  will  is 
treated  of. 

739.  That  by  the  "flood  of  waters"  is  signified  the  begin- 
ning of  temptation,  is  evident  from  temptation  as  to  things  of 
the  understanding  being  here  treated  of,  which  temptation 
precedes,  and,  as  before  said,  is  light ;  and  for  this  reason  it  is 
called  a  "  flood  of  waters,"  and  not  simply  "  a  flood"  as  in  the 
seventeenth  verse.  For  "  waters"  signify  especially  the  spirit- 
ual things  of  man,  the  intellectual  things  of  faith,  and  the 
opposites  of  these,  which  are  falsities ;  as  may  be  confirmed 
by  very  many  passages  from  the  Word.  [2]  That  a  "  flood" 
or  "  inundation"  of  waters  signifies  temptation,  is  evident 
from  what  was  shown  in  the  introduction  to  this  chapter.  So 
also  in  Ezekiel : — 

Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovih,  I  will  make  a  stormy  wind  to  break 
through  in  My  fury,  and  an  inundating  rain  shall  there  be  in  Mine  anger, 
and  hailstones  in  wrath,  unto  the  consummation,  that  I  may  destroy  the 
wall  that  ye  have  daubed  with  what  is  unfit  (xiii.  13, 14). 

Here  a  "  stormy  wind,"  and  an  "  inundating  rain,"  denote  the 
desolation  of  falsities ;  the  "  wall  daubed  with  what  is  unfit," 
denotes  fiction  appearing  as  truth.  In  Isaiah : — 

Jehovah  God  is  a  protection  from  inundation,  a  shadow  from  the  heat, 
for  the  breath  of  the  violent  is  as  an  inundation  against  the  wall  (xxv.  4). 

An  "  inundation"  here  denotes  temptation  as  to  things  of  the 
understanding,  and  is  distinguished  from  temptation  as  to 
things  of  the  will,  which  is  called  "  heat."  [3]  Again : — 

Behold  the  Lord  hath  a  mighty  and  strong  one,  as  an  inundation  of 
hail,  a  destroying  storm,  as  an  inundation  of  mighty  waters,  overflowing 
(xxviii.  2), 

where  degrees  of  temptation  are  described.     And  again : — 

When  thou  passest  through  the  waters  I  will  be  with  thee ;  and  through 
the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee  ;  when  thou  walkest  through  the 
fire  thou  shalt  not  be  burned,  and  the  flame  shall  not  kindle  upon  thee 
(xliii.  2). 

"Waters"  and  "rivers"  here  denote  falsities  and  phantasies, 
"  fire"  and  "  flame"  evils  and  cupidities.  In  David : — 

For  this  shall  every  one  that  is  holy  pray  unto  Thee  at  a  time  of 
finding  so  that  in  the  inundation  of  many  waters  they  shall  not  reach 


340  GENESIS  [N.  739 

unto  him  ;  Thou  art  my  hiding  place  ;  Thou  wilt  preserve  me  from 
trouble  (Ps.  xxxii.  6,  7), 

where  the  "  inundation  of  waters"  denotes  temptation  which 
is  also  called  a  "  flood."  In  the  same  : — 

Jehovah  sitteth  at  the  flood  ;  yea,  Jehovah  sitteth  King  forever  (Ps. 
xxix.  10). 

From  these  passages,  and  from  what  was  premised  at  the  be- 
ginning of  this  chapter,  it  is  evident  that  a  "  flood"  or  "  inun- 
dation" of  waters  signifies  nothing  else  than  temptations  and 
vastations,  although  described  historically,  after  the  manner 
of  the  most  ancient  people. 

740.  Verse  7.  And  Noah  went  in,  and  his  sons,  and  his  wife, 
and  his  sons'  ivives  with  him,  into  the  ark,  from  before  the  waters 
of  the  flood.    "  oSToah  went  into  the  ark,  from  before  the  waters 
of  the  flood,"  signifies  that  he  was  protected  in  temptation ;  by 
"  sons"  are  signified  truths,  as  before ;  by  "  wife,"  goods ;  by 
"  sons'  wives,"  truths  conjoined  with  goods. 

741.  Noah  went  into  the  ark  from  before  the  waters  of  the 
flood.     That  this  signifies  that  he  was  protected,  must  be  evi- 
dent to  every  one.     Temptations  are  nothing  else  than  com- 
bats of  evil  spirits  with  the  angels  who  are  with  a  man.    Evil 
spirits  call  up  all  the  wrong  things  that  from  his  infancy  a  man 
has  either  done  or  even  thought,  thus  both  his  evils  and  his  fal- 
sities, and  condemn  him,  and  there  is  nothing  that  gives  them 
greater  delight  than  to  do  this,  for  the  very  delight  of  their 
life  consists  therein.    But  through  angels  the  Lord  guards  the 
man,  and  restrains  the  evil  spirits  and  genii  from  ranging 
beyond  bounds  and  inundating  the  man  beyond  what  he  is 
able  to  bear. 

742.  That  by  "sons"  are  signified  truths,  by  "wife"  goods, 
and  by  "  sons'  wives"  truths  conjoined  with  goods,  has  been 
explained  before  at  the  eighteenth  verse  of   the   preceding 
chapter,  where  the  same  words  occur.     By  truths  and  goods 
(though  here  called  "  sons"    and  "  wives")  are  meant  those 
things  which  were  in  the  man  called  "  Noah,"  and  by  means  of 
which  he  was  protected.     Such  is  the  most  ancient  style  of 
the  Word,  connected  in  the  manner  of  history,  but  involving 
heavenly  arcana. 


N.  743]  CHAPTER   VII.  VERS.  8,  9  341 

743.  Verses  8,  9.   Of  the  clean  beast,  and  of  the  beast  that  is 
not  clean,  and  of  the  fowl,  and  of  everything  that  creepeth  upon 
the  ground,  there  went  in  two  and  two,  to  Noah  into  the  ark,  male 
and  female,  as   God  had  commanded  Noah.     By  "  the  clean 
beast,"  affections  of   good  are  signified ,  as  before  ;   by  "  the 
beast  that  is  not  clean,"  cupidities  ;  by  "  the  fowl,"  in  general, 
thoughts ;  by  "  everything  that  creepeth  upon  the  ground," 
the  sensuous  part  and  its  every  pleasure ;  "  two  and  two," 
signify  things  corresponding ;  that  they  "  went  into  the  ark," 
signifies  that  they  were  protected ;  "  male  and  female,"  signify 
as  before  truth  and  good ;  "  as  God  commanded  Noah,"  signi- 
fies that  so  it  came  to  pass. 

744.  That  affections  of  good  are  signified  by  "the  clean 
beast,"  has  been  stated  and  explained  before,  at  the  second 
verse  of  this  chapter,  and  therefore  need  not  be  dwelt  upon ; 
as  also  that  cupidities,  that  is,  evil  affections,  are  signified  by 
"  the  beast  not  clean." 

745.  That  by  the  "fowl,"  or  "bird,"  in  general  are  signi 
fied  thoughts,  may  be  seen  from  what  has  been  said  before 
concerning  birds — that  they  signify  things  of  the  understand- 
ing, or  things  rational.     But  there  they  were  called  "  fowls 
of  the    heavens,"  and  here  only  "  the  fowl ;"  and  therefore 
they  signify  thoughts  in  general.     For  there  are  many  kinds 
of  birds,  both  clean  and  unclean,  which  are  distinguished  in 
the  fourteenth  verse  into  the  "  fowl,"  the  "  flying  thing,"  and 
the  "  winged  thing."     The  clean  birds  are  thoughts  of  truth ; 
the  unclean  are   false  thoughts ;    concerning  which,  of   the 
Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 

746.  Everything  that  creepeth  upon  the  ground.     That  this 
signifies  the   sensuous  part  and  its  every  pleasure,  has  also 
been  said  and  shown  before.     The  most  ancient  people  com- 
pared and  likened  the  sensuous  things  of  man  and  his  pleas- 
ures to  reptiles  and  creeping  things,  and  even  called  them  so, 
because  they  are  the  outermost  things,  and  as  it  were  creep 
on  the  surface  of  a  man,  and  must  not  be  permitted  to  raise 
themselves  higher. 

747.  That  "two  and  two"  signify  things  that  correspond, 
any  one  may  see  from  their  being  pairs ;  they  cannot  be  pairs 
unless  they  correspond  to  each  other,  as  do  goods  and  truths, 


342  GENESIS  [N.  747 

and  evils  and  falsities.  For  there  is  in  all  things  a  semblance 
of  a  marriage,  or  a  coupling,  as  of  truths  with  goods,  and  of 
evils  with  falsities,  because  there  is  a  marriage  of  the  under- 
standing with  the  will,  or  of  the  things  of  the  understanding 
with  those  of  the  will.  And  indeed  everything  has  its  mar- 
riage or  its  coupling,  without  which  it  could  not  possibly 
subsist. 

748.  That  their  "going  into  the  ark"  signifies  that  they 
were  protected,  was  stated  before  at  the  seventh  verse,  where 
it  is  said  concerning  Noah  and  his  sons  and  their  wives. 

749.  That  "male  and  female"  signify  truth  and  good,  may 
be  seen  from  what  has  been  said  before,  at  verses  2  and  3  of 
this  chapter,  where  "  male  and  female"  are  predicated  of  fowls, 
and  "man  and  wife"  of  beasts.      The  reason  was  also  then 
stated,  namely,  that  there  is  a  marriage  of  the  things  of  the 
will  with' those  of  the  understanding,  and  not  so  much  of  the 
things  of  the  understanding,  in  themselves  regarded,  with  those 
of  the  will.     The  former  are  related  as  man  and  wife,  the  latter 
as  male  and  female.     And  because  the  subject  here,  as  before 
said,  is  the  temptation  of  that  man  as  to  the  things  of  his  un- 
derstanding, it  is  said  "  male  and  female,"  and  there  is  meant  a 
combat  or  temptation  as  to  the  things  of  the  understanding. 

750.  As  God  commanded  Noah.     That  this  signifies  that  so 
it  came  to  pass,  has  been  shown  at  verse  22  of  the  preceding 
chapter,  and  in  this  chapter  at  verse  5. 

751.  As  the  subject  here  treated  of  is  the  temptation  of  the 
man  of  the  new  church  called  "  Noah,"  and  as  few  if  any  know 
the  nature  of  temptations  (because  at  this  day  there  are  few  who 
undergo  such  temptations,  and  those  who  do  undergo  them 
know  not  but  that  it  is  something  inherent  in  themselves  which 
thus  suffers),  the  subject  shall  be  briefly  explained.     There  are 
evil  spirits  who  as  before  said  in  times  of  temptation  call  up  a 
man's  falsities  and  evils,  and  in  fact  call  forth  from  his  mem- 
ory whatever  he  has  thought  and  done  from  his  infancy.     Evil 
spirits  do  this  with  a  skill  and  a  malignity  so  great  as  to  be  inde- 
scribable.    But  the  angels  with  the  man  draw  out  his  goods  and 
truths,  and  thus  defend  him.     This  combat  is  what  is  felt  and 
perceived  by  the  man,  causing  the  pain  and  remorse  of  con- 
science     t2]  There  are  two  kinds  of  temptations,  one  as  to 


N.  751]  CHAPTER   VH.  VERS.  8,  9  343 

things  of  the  understanding,  the  other  as  to  those  of  the  will. 
When  a  man  is  tempted  as  to  things  of  the  understanding,  the 
evil  spirits  call  up  only  the  evil  things  he  has  been  guilty  of 
(here  signified  by  the  "  unclean  beasts"),  and  accuse  and  con- 
demn him ;  they  do  indeed  also  call  up  his  good  deeds  (here  sig- 
nified by  the  "  clean  beasts"),  but  pervert  them  in  a  thousand 
ways.  At  the  same  time  they  call  up  what  he  has  thought 
(here  signified  by  the  "  fowl"),  and  such  things  also  as  are  sig- 
nified by  "  everything  that  creepeth  upon  the  ground."  [3J 
But  this  temptation  is  light,  and  is  perceived  only  by  the  recall- 
ing of  such  things  to  mind  and  a  certain  anxiety  therefrom.  But 
when  a  man  is  tempted  as  to  the  things  of  the  will,  his  thoughts 
and  doings  are  not  so  much  called  up,  but  there  are  evil  genii 
(as  evil  spirits  of  this  kind  may  be  called)  who  inflame  him 
with  their  cupidities  and  foul  loves  with  which  he  also  is  im- 
bued, and  thus  combat  by  means  of  the  man's  cupidities  them- 
selves, which  they  do  so  maliciously  and  secretly  that  it  could 
not  be  believed  to  be  from  them.  For  in  a  moment  they  infuse 
themselves  into  the  life  of  his  cupidities,  and  almost  instantly 
invert  and  change  an  affection  of  good  and  truth  into  an  affec- 
tion of  evil  and  falsity,  so  that  the  man  cannot  possibly  know 
but  that  it  is  done  of  his  own  self,  and  comes  forth  of  his  own 
will.  This  temptation  is  most  severe,  and  is  perceived  as  an 
inward  pain  and  tormenting  fire.  Of  this  more  will  be  said 
hereafter.  That  such  is  the  case  has  been  given  me  to  perceive 
and  know  by  manifold  experience ;  and  also  when  and  how  the 
evil  spirits  or  genii  were  flowing  in  and  inundating,  and  who 
and  whence  they  were ;  concerning  which  experiences,  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  mercy  special  and  particular  mention  will  be 
made  hereafter. 

752.  Verse  10.  And  it  came  to  pass  after  the  seven  days  that 
the  waters  of  the  flood  were  upon  the  earth.     This  signifies,  as 
before,  the  beginning  of  temptation. 

753.  That  by  "seven  days"  is  signified  the  beginning  of 
temptation  was  shown  above  at  the  fourth  verse ;  and  it  has 
reference  to  what  has  gone  before,  namely,  that  this  tempta- 
tion, which  was  of  the  things  of  his  understanding,  was  the 
beginning  of  temptation,  or  the  first  temptation ;  and  it  is  the 
conclusion  thus  expressed.     And  because  this  first  temptation 


344  GENESIS  [N.  763 

was  as  to  things  of  the  understanding,  it  is  described  by  the 
"  waters  of  the  flood,"  as  above  at  the  seventh  verse,  and  by 
the  "  flood  of  waters"  at  the  sixth  verse,  which  properly  signify 
such  temptation,  as  was  there  shown. 

754.  Verse  11.  In  the  six  hundredth  year  of  Noah's  life,  in 
the  second  month,  in  the  seventeenth  day  of  the  month,  in  that 
day  were  all  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  broken  up,  and  the 
cataracts  of  heaven  were  opened.     By  "  the  six  hundredth  year, 
the  second  month,  and  the  seventeenth  day,"  is  signified  the 
second  state  of  temptation ;  "  all  the  fountains  of  the  great 
deep  were  broken  up,"  signifies  the  extreme  of  temptation  as 
to  the   things  of  the  will;    "the  cataracts   of  heaven  were 
opened,"  signifies  the  extreme  of  temptation  as  to  the  things 
of  the  understanding. 

755.  That  by  "the  six  hundredth  year,  the  second  month, 
and  seventeenth  day,"  is  signified  the  second  state  of  tempta- 
tion, follows  from  what  has  hitherto  been  said ;  for  from  the 
sixth  verse  to  this  eleventh  verse  the  first  state  of  temptation 
is  treated  of,  which  was  temptation  as  to  things  of  his  under- 
standing.   And  that  now  the  second  state  is  treated  of,  namely, 
as  to  things  of  the  will,  is  the  reason  why  his  age  is  told  again. 
It  was  said  before  that  he  was  "  a  son  of  six  hundred  years," 
and  here  that  the  flood  came  "  in  the  six  hundredth  year  of  his 
life,  in  the  second  month,  and  in  the  seventeenth  day."     No 
one  could  suppose  that  by  the  years  of  Noah's  age,  of  which 
the  years,  months,  and  days  are  specified,  a  state  of  temptation 
as  to  things  of  the  will  is  meant.     But  as  has  been  said,  such 
was  the  manner  of  speech  and  of  writing  among  the  most  an- 
cient people ;  and  especially  were  they  delighted  in  being  able 
to  specify  times  and  names,  and  thereby  construct  a  narrative 
similar  to  actual  history ;  and  in  this  consisted  their  wisdom. 
[2]  Now  it  has  been  shown  above,  at  verse  6,  that  the  "  six 
hundred  years"  signify  nothing  else  than  the  first  state  of 
temptation,  and  so  do  the  "  six  hundred  years"  here ;  but  in 
order  that  the  second  state  of  temptation  might  be  signified, 
"  months"  and  "  days"  are  added ;  and  indeed  two  months  or 
"  in  the  second  month,"  which  signifies  combat  itself,  as  is  evi- 
dent from  the  signification  of  the  number  "  two"  in  the  second 
verse  of  this  chapter,  where  it  is  shown   that  it  signifies  the 


N.  755]  CHAPTER   VII.  VER.  11  345 

same  as  "  six,"  that  is,  labor  and  combat,  and  also  dispersion. 
But  the  number  "  seventeen"  signifies  both  the  beginning  of 
temptation  and  the  end  of  temptation,  because  it  is  composed 
of  the  numbers  seven  and  ten.  When  this  number  signifies  the 
beginning  of  temptation,  it  involves  the  days  up  to  seven,  or  a 
week  of  seven  days ;  and  that  this  signifies  the  beginning  of 
temptation  has  been  shown  above,  at  the  fourth  verse  of  this 
chapter.  But  when  it  signifies  the  end  of  temptation  (as  at 
verse  4  of  chapter  viii.),  then  "  seven"  is  a  holy  number ;  to 
which  "ten"  (which  signifies  remains)  is  adjoined,  for  without 
remains  man  cannot  be  regenerated.  [3]  That  the  numoer 
"  seventeen"  signifies  the  beginning  of  temptation,  is  evident 
in  Jeremiah,  when  that  prophet  was  commanded  to  buy  a  field 
from  Hanamel  his  uncle's  son,  which  was  in  Anathoth ;  and 
he  weighed  him  the  money,  seventeen  shekels  of  silver  (xxxii. 
9).  That  this  number  also  signifies  the  Babylonish  captivity, 
which  represents  the  temptation  of  the  faithful  and  the  devas- 
tation of  the  unfaithful,  and  so  the  beginning  of  temptation 
and  at  the  same  time  the  end  of  temptation,  or  liberation,  is 
evident  from  what  follows  in  the  same  chapter, — the  captivity 
in  the  thirty-sixth  verse,  and  the  liberation  in  the  thirty- 
seventh  and  following  verses.  No  such  number  would  have 
appeared  in  the  prophecy  if  it  had  not,  like  all  the  other  words, 
involved  a  hidden  meaning.  [4]  That  "  seventeen"  signifies 
the  beginning  of  temptation,  is  also  evident  from  the  age  of 
Joseph,  who  was  a  "  son  of  seventeen  years"  when  he  was  sent 
to  his  brothers  and  sold  into  Egypt  (Gen.  xxxvii.  2).  His 
being  sold  into  Egypt  has  a  similar  signification,  as  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  mercy  will  be  shown  in  the  explication  of  that 
chapter.  There  the  historical  events  are  representative,  which 
actually  took  place  as  described ;  but  here  significative  histor- 
ical incidents  are  composed,  which  did  not  take  place  as  de- 
scribed in  the  sense  of  the  letter.  And  yet  the  actual  events 
involve  arcana  of  heaven,  in  fact  every  word  of  them  does  so, 
exactly  as  do  these  made-up  histories.  It  cannot  but  appear 
strange  that  this  is  so,  because  where  any  historical  fact  or 
statement  is  presented,  the  mind  is  held  in  the  letter  and  can- 
not release  itself  from  it,  and  so  thinks  that  nothing  else  is 
signified  and  represented.  [5]  But  that  there  is  an  internal 


346  GENESIS  [N.  755 

sense  in  which  the  life  of  the  Word  resides  (and  not  in  the 
letter,  which  without  the  internal  sense  is  dead),  must  be  evi- 
dent to  every  intelligent  man.  Without  the  internal  sense 
how  does  any  historical  statement  in  the  Word  differ  from  his- 
tory as  told  by  any  profane  writer  ?  And  then  of  what  use 
would  it  be  to  know  the  age  of  Noah,  and  the  month  and  day 
when  the  flood  took  place,  if  it  did  not  involve  a  heavenly 
arcanum?  And  who  cannot  see  that  this  saying:  "all  the 
fountains  of  the  great  deep  were  broken  up,  and  the  cataracts 
of  heaven  were  opened,"  is  a  prophetical  one  ?  Not  to  mention 
other  like  considerations. 

756.  That  "  all  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  were  broken 
up,"  signifies  the  extreme  of  temptation  as  to  things  of  the 
will,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  just  above  respecting 
temptations,  that  they  are  of  two  kinds,  one  as  to  things  of 
the  understanding,  the  other  as  to  things  of  the  will,  and  that 
the  latter  relatively  to  the  former  are  severe ;  and  it  is  evident 
likewise  from  the  fact  that  up  to  this  point  temptation  as  to 
things  of  the  understanding  has  been  treated  of.  The  same 
is  evident  from  the  signification  of  the  "  deep,"  namely,  cupidi- 
ties and  the  falsities  thence  derived  (as  before  at  n.  18),  and  it 
is  evident  also  from  the  following  passages  in  the  Word.  In 
Ezekiel : — 

Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovih,  When  I  shall  make  thee  a  desolate  city, 
like  the  cities  that  are  not  inhabited,  when  I  shall  bring  up  the  deep  upon 
thee,  and  many  waters  shall  cover  thee  (xxvi.  19), 

where  the  "  deep"  and  "  many  waters"  denote  the  extreme  of 
temptation.  In  Jonah  : — 

The  waters  compassed  me  about,  even  to  the  soul ;  the  deep  was  round 
about  me  (ii.  5), 

where  likewise  the  "  waters"  and  the  "  deep"  denote  the  ex- 
treme of  temptation.  In  David: — 

Deep  calleth  unto  deep  at  the  noise  of  Thy  water-spouts ;  all  Thy 
breakers  and  all  Thy  waves  are  over  me  (Ps.  xlii.  7), 

where  also  the  "  deep"  manifestly  denotes  the  extreme  of 
temptation,  Again  : — 

He  rebuked  the  Red  Sea  also,  and  it  was  dried  up  ;  and  He  made  them 
go  through  the  deeps  as  in  the  wilderness,  and  He  saved  them  from  the 


N.  756]  CHAPTER   VII.  VER.   11  347 

hand  of  him  that  hated  them,  and  redeemed  them  from  the  hand  of  the 
enemy,  and  the  waters  covered  their  adversaries  (Ps.  cxi.  9-11), 

where  the  "  deep"  denotes  the  temptations  in  the  wilderness. 
[2]  In  ancient  times,  hell  was  meant  by  the  "deep;"  and 
phantasies  and  persuasions  of  falsity  were  likened  to  waters 
and  rivers,  as  also  to  a  smoke  out  of  the  deep.  And  the  hells 
of  some  appear  so,  that  is,  as  deeps  and  as  seas ;  concerning 
which,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter.  From  those 
hells  come  the  evil  spirits  that  devastate,  and  also  those  that 
tempt  man ;  and  their  phantasies  that  they  pour  in,  and  the 
cupidities  with  which  they  inflame  a  man,  are  as  inundations 
and  exhalations  therefrom.  For  as  before  said,  through  evil 
spirits  man  is  conjoined  with  hell,  and  through  angels  with 
heaven.  And  therefore  when  it  is  said  that  "  all  the  fountains 
of  the  deep  were  broken  up,"  such  things  are  signified.  That 
hell  is  called  the  "  deep"  and  that  the  foul  emanations  there- 
from are  called  "  rivers,"  is  evident  in  Ezekiel : — 

Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovih,  In  the  day  when  he  went  down  into  hell 
I  caused  a  mourning,  I  covered  the  deep  above  him,  and  I  restrained  the 
rivers  thereof,  and  the  great  waters  were  stayed  (xxxi.  16). 

Hell  is  also  called  the  "  deep,"  or  "  abyss,"  in  John  (Rev.  ix. 
1,  2,  11 ;  xi.  7 ;  xvii.  8 ;  xx.  1,  3). 

757.  The  cataracts  of  heaven  were  opened.    That  this  signifies 
the  extreme  of  temptation  as  to  things  of  the  understanding, 
is  also  evident  from  the  above.     Temptation  as  to  things  of 
the  will,  or  as  to  cupidities,  can  by  no  means  be  separated  from 
temptation  as  to  things  of  the  understanding ;  for  if  separated 
there  would  not  be  any  temptation,  but  an  inundation,  such  as 
there  is  with  those  who  live  in  the  fires  of  cupidities,  in  which 
they,  like  infernal  spirits,  feel  the  delights  of  their  life.     They 
are  called  the  "  cataracts  of  heaven"  from  the  inundation  of 
falsities  or  reasonings  ;  concerning  which  also  in  Isaiah : — 

He  who  fleeth  from  the  noise  of  the  fear  shall  fall  into  the  pit ;  and 
he  that  cometh  up  out  of  the  midst  of  the  pit  shall  be  taken  in  the  snare  ; 
for  the  cataracts  from  on  high  are  opened,  and  the  foundations  of  the 
earth  do  shake  (xxiv.  18). 

758.  Verse  12.  And  the  rain  was  upon  the  earth  forty  days 
and  forty  nights.     This  signifies  that  the  temptation  continued. 


348  GENESIS  [N.  758 

"  Rain"  is  temptation ;  "  forty  days  and  forty  nights,"  denotes 
its  duration. 

759.  That  the  "  rain"  here  is  temptation  is  evident  from 
what  has  been  said  and  shown  above,  concerning  a  "flood" 
and  an  "  inundation ;"  and  also  from  the  signification  of  the 
"  fountains  of  the  deep  were  broken  up,"  and  the  "  cataracts 
of  heaven  were  opened,"  as  being  temptations. 

760.  That  the  "  forty  days  and  forty  nights,"  signify  its 
duration,  was  shown  above,  at  verse  4.    By  "  forty,"  as  before 
said,  is  signified  every  duration  of  temptation,  whether  greater 
or  less,  and  indeed  severe  temptation,  which  is  of  the  things 
of  the  will.     For  by  continual  pleasures,  and  by  the  loves  of 
self  and  of  the  world,  consequently  by  the  cupidities  that  are 
the  connected  activities  of  these  loves,  man  has  acquired  a 
life  for  himself  of  such  a  kind  that  it  is  nothing  but  a  life  of 
such  things.     This  life  cannot  possibly  accord  with  heavenly 
life ;  for  no  one  can  love  worldly  and  heavenly  things  at  the 
same  time,  seeing  that  to  love  worldly  things  is  to  look  down- 
ward, and  to  love  heavenly  things  is  to  look  upward.     Much 
less  can  any  one  love  himself  and  at  the  same  time  the  neigh- 
bor, and  still  less  the  Lord.     He  who  loves  himself,  hates  all 
who  do  not  render  him  service ;    so  that  the  man  who  loves 
himself  is  very  far  from  heavenly  love  and  charity,  which  is 
to  love  the  neighbor  more  than  one's  self,  and  the  Lord  above 
all  things.     From  this  it  is  evident  how  far  removed  the  life 
of  man  is  from  heavenly  life,  and  therefore  he  is  regenerated 
by  the  Lord  through  temptations,  and  is  bent  so  as  to  bring 
him  into  agreement.     This  is  why  such  temptation  is  severe, 
for  it  touches  a  man's  very  life,  assailing,  destroying,  and 
transforming  it,  and  is  therefore  described  by  the  words :  "  the 
fountains  of  the  deep  were  broken  up,  and  the  cataracts  of 
heaven  were  opened." 

761.  That  spiritual  temptation  in  man  is  a  combat  of  the  evil 
spirits  with  the  angels  who  are  with  him,  and  that  this  combat 
is  commonly  felt  in  his  conscience,  has  been  stated  before,  and 
concerning  this  combat  it  should  also  be  known  that  angels 
continually  protect  man  and  avert  the  evils  which  evil  spirits 
endeavor  to  do  to  him.     They  even  protect  what  is  false  and 
evil  in  a  man,  for  they  know  very  well  whence  his  falsities  and 


N.  761]  CHAPTER  VII.  VER.  12  349 

evils  come,  namely,  from  evil  spirits  and  genii.  Man  does  not 
produce  anything  false  and  evil  from  himself,  but  it  is  the  evil 
spirits  with  him  who  produce  it,  and  at  the  same  time  make  the 
man  believe  that  he  does  it  of  himself.  Such  is  their  malignity. 
And  what  is  more,  at  the  moment  when  they  are  infusing  and 
compelling  this  belief,  they  accuse  and  condemn  him,  as  I  can 
confirm  from  many  experiences.  The  man  who  has  not  faith  in 
the  Lord  cannot  be  enlightened  so  as  not  to  believe  that  he  does 
evil  of  himself,  and  he  therefore  appropriates  the  evil  to  him- 
self, and  becomes  like  the  evil  spirits  that  are  with  him.  Such 
is  the  case  with  man.  As  the  angels  know  this,  in  the  tempta- 
tions of  regeneration  they  protect  also  the  falsities  and  evils  of 
a  man,  for  otherwise  he  would  succumb.  For  there  is  nothing 
in  a  man  but  evil  and  the  falsity  thence  derived,  so  that  he  is 
a  mere  assemblage  and  compound  of  evils  and  their  falsities. 

762.  But  spiritual  temptations  are  little  known  at  this  day. 
Nor  are  they  permitted  to  such  a  degree  as  formerly,  because 
man  is  not  in  the  truth  of  faith,  and  would  therefore  succumb. 
In  place  of  these  temptations  there  are  others,  such  as  misfor- 
tunes, griefs,  and  anxieties,  arising  from  natural  and  bodily 
causes,  and  also  sicknesses  and  diseases  of  the  body,  which  in 
a  measure  subdue  and  break  up  the  life  of  a  man's  pleasures 
and  cupidities,  and  determine  and  uplift  his  thoughts  to  interior 
and  religious  subjects.    But  these  are  not  spiritual  temptations, 
which  are  experienced  by  those  only  who  have  received  from 
the  Lord  a  conscience  of  truth  and  good.     Conscience  is  itself 
the  plane  of  temptations,  wherein  they  operate. 

763.  Thus  far  temptations  have  been  treated  of;  and  now 
follows  the  end  or  purpose  of  the  temptation,  which  was  that 
a  new  church  might  arise. 

764.  Verse  13.  In  the  self-same  day  entered  Noah,  and  Skem, 
and  Ham,  and  Japheth,  the  sons  of  Noah,  and  Noah's  wife,  and 
the  three  wives  of  his  sons  with  them,  into  the  ark.     That  they 
"  entered  into  the  ark,"  signifies  here  as  before  that  they  were 
saved ;  "  Noah"  signifies  what  was  of  the  church ;  "  Shem,  Ham, 
and  Japheth,"  what  was  of  the  churches  that  were  thence  de- 
rived ;  "  the  sons  of  Noah,"  signify  doctrinal  things  ;  "  the  three 
wives  of  his  sons  with  them,"  signify  the  churches  themselves 
that  were  thence  derived. 


350  GENESIS  [N.  765 

765.  Thus  far  the  temptation  of  the  man  of  the  church 
called  "  Noah"  has  been  treated  of :  first,  his  temptation  as  to 
things  of  the  understanding,  which  are  truths  of  faith  (verses 
6  to  10)  ;  and  then  his  temptation  as  to  things  of  the  will,  which 
have  regard  to  the  goods  of  charity  (verses  11, 12).  The  end  or 
purpose  of  the  temptations  was  that  a  man  of  the  church  or  a 
new  church  might  be  born  again  by  their  means ;  seeing  that 
the  Most  Ancient  Church  had  perished.  This  church  called 
"  Noah"  was  as  before  said  of  a  different  character  from  that 
of  the  Most  Ancient  Church ;  that  is  to  say,  it  was  spiritual, 
the  characteristic  of  which  is  that  man  is  born  again  by  means 
of  doctrinal  matters  of  faith,  after  the  implantation  of  which  a 
conscience  is  insinuated  into  him,  lest  he  should  act  against  the 
truth  and  good  of  faith ;  and  in  this  way  he  is  endowed  with 
charity,  which  governs  the  conscience  from  which  he  is  thus 
beginning  to  act.  From  this  it  is  evident  what  a  spiritual  man 
is  :  that  he  is  not  one  who  believes  faith  without  charity  to  be 
saving,  but  one  who  makes  charity  the  essential  of  faith,  and 
acts  from  it.  That  such  a  man  or  such  a  church  might  arise, 
was  the  end  in  view,  and  therefore  that  church  itself  is  now 
treated  of.  That  the  church  is  now  treated  of  is  evident  also 
from  the  repetition  as  it  were  of  the  same  matter ;  for  it  is 
said  here  :  "  in  the  self-same  day  entered  Noah,  and  Shem,  and 
Ham,  and  Japheth,  the  sons  of  Noah,  and  Noah's  wife,  and  the 
three  wives  of  his  sons  with  them,  into  the  ark ;"  and  likewise 
above  in  verse  7,  but  in  these  words  :  "  and  Noah  went  in,  and 
his  sons,  and  his  wife,  and  his  sons'  wives  with  him,  into  the 
ark."  But  now,  because  the  church  is  treated  of,  the  sons  are 
named,  "  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth,"  who  when  thus  named 
signify  the  man  of  the  church,  but  when  called  "  sons,"  without 
names,  signify  truths  of  faith.  Besides,  that  which  was  said  in 
verses  8  and  9  about  the  beasts  and  the  fowls  that  went  into  the 
ark  is  repeated  again,  in  verses  14  to  16,  but  here  with  a  differ- 
ence accordant  with  and  applicable  to  the  subject  of  the  church. 

767.  They  entered  into  the  ark.  That  this  signifies  that 
they  were  saved  (namely,  the  man  of  the  church,  who  was 
"  Noah,"  and  the  other  churches  descending  and  derived  from 
him  which  are  here  spoken  of),  is  evident  from  what  has  been 
said  before  about  "  entering  into  the  ark." 


N.  768]  CHAPTER   VII.  VER.  13  351 

768.  That  by  "Noah"  is  signified  what  was  of  the  church, 
and  by  "  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth"  what  pertained  to  the 
churches  that  were  derived  therefrom,  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that  here  they  were  not  called  merely  his  "  sons,"  as  before  in 
the  seventh  verse,  but  are  called  by  their  names.     When  thus 
named  they  signify  the  man  of  the  church.     The  man  of  the 
church  is  not  merely  the  church  itself,  but  is  everything  that 
belongs  to  the  church.     It  is  a  general  term  comprehending 
whatever  is  of  the  church,  as  was  said  before  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church,  which  was  called  "Man,"  and  likewise  of  the  other 
churches  .that  were  named.    Thus  by  "  Noah,"  and  by  "  Shem, 
Ham,  and  Japheth,"  is  signified  whatever  is  of  the  church  and  of 
the  churches  that  were  derived  from  it,  in  one  complex.     [2] 
Such  is  the  style  and  manner  of  speaking  in  the  Word.    Thus 
where  "  Judah"  is  named,  in  the  Prophets,  the  celestial  church 
is  mostly  signified,  or  whatever  is  of  that  church;  where  "  Israel" 
is  named,  the  spiritual  church  is  mostly  signified,  or  what- 
ever is  of  that  church ;  where  "  Jacob"  is  named,  the  external 
church  is  signified ;  for  with  every  man  of  the  church  there  is 
an  internal  and  an  external  of  the  church,  the  internal  being 
where  the  true  church  is,  and  the  external  being  what  is 
derived  therefrom,  and  this  latter  is  "  Jacob."     [3]  But  the 
case  is  different  when  the  men  are  not  named.      The  reason 
why  this  is  so  is  that  when  named  they  refer  representa- 
tively to  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord.     The  Lord  is  the  only 
Man,  and  is  the  all  of   His   kingdom ;    and   as  the  church 
is  His  kingdom  on  earth,  the  Lord  alone  is  the  all  of   the 
church.     The  all  of  the  church  is  love  or  charity ;  and  there- 
fore a  man  (or  what  is  the  same,  one  called  by  name),  signi- 
fies love  or  charity,  that  is,  the  all  of  the  church ;  and  then 
his  "  wife"  signifies  simply  the  church  thence  derived.     So  it 
is  here.     But  what  kind  of  churches  are  signified  by  "  Shem, 
Ham,  and  Japheth"  will  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  be  stated 
hereafter. 

769.  That  by  the  "  sons  of  Noah"  are  signified  doctrinal 
things,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  sons,"  as  shown 
before ;  for  there  can  be  no  church  without  doctrinal  things. 
And  therefore  they  are  not  only  named,  but  it  is  also  added 
that  they  are  his  "  sons." 


352  GENESIS  [N.  770 

770.  That  by  Noah's  "wife"  is  signified  the  church  itself, 
and  by  the  "  three  wives  of  his  sons  with  them,"  the  churches 
themselves  that  were  derived  from  that  church,  is  evident 
from  what  has  been  said  before,  namely,  that  when  the  man 
of  the  church  is  named,  the  all  of  the  church  is  meant,  or, 
as  it  is  termed,  the  head  of  the  church ;  and  then  his  "  wife" 
is  the  church  itself,  as  shown  before  (n.  252,  253).    It  is  other- 
wise when  "  man  and  wife,"  or  "  male  and  female,"  are  named 
in  the  Word,  for  then  by  "  man"  and  "  male"  are  signified  the 
things  of  the  understanding,  or  the  truths  of  faith ;  and  by 
"  wife"  and  "  female,"  the  things  of  the  will,  or  the  goods  of 
faith. 

771.  As  every  expression  in  the  Word  is  from  the  Lord, 
and  therefore  has  what  is  Divine  within  it,  it  is  evident  that 
there  is  no  word,  nor  even  an  iota,  that  does  not  signify  and 
involve  something.     And  so  it  is  here,  when  it  is  said  "  three 
wives,"  and  the  wives  "  of  his  sons,"  and  also  "  with  them." 
But  what  the  particulars  involve  it  would  take  too  long  to  ex- 
plain.   It  is  sufficient  to  give  only  a  general  idea  of  their  most 
general  import. 

772.  Verses  14,  15.   They,  and  every  wild  animal  after  its 
kind,  and  every  beast  after  its  kind,  and  every  creeping  thing  that 
creepeth  upon  the  earth  after  its  kind  ;  and  every  fowl  after  its 
kind,  every  flying  thing,  every  winged  thing.     And  they  went  in 
unto  Noah  into  the  ark,  two  and  two,  of  all  flesh  wherein  is  the 
breath  of  lives.     By  "  they"  is  signified  the  man  of  the  church 
in  general ;  by  "  every  wild  animal  after  its  kind,"  is  signified 
every  spiritual  good ;  by  "  every  beast  after  its  kind,"  every 
natural  good ;  by  "  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the 
earth  after  its  kind,"  every  sensuous  and  corporeal  good ;  by 
"  fowl  after  its  kind,"  every  spiritual  truth ;  by  "  flying  thing," 
natural  truth ;    by  "  winged  thing,"    sensuous  truth.      That 
"  they  went  in  unto  Noah  into  the  ark,"  signifies  as  before  that 
they  were  saved ;  "  two  and  two,"  signifies  as  before,  pairs ; 
"  of  all  flesh  wherein  is  the  breath  of  lives,"  signifies  a  new 
creature,  or  that  they  received  new  life  from  the  Lord. 

773.  That  by  "they"  is  signified  the  man  of  the  church  in 
general,  or  all  that  was  of  that  church,  is  evident  from  its  re- 
ferring to  those  who  were  named  just  before,  that  is,  to  Noah, 


N.  773]  CHAPTER   VII.  VERS.  14,  15  353 

Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth,  who,  although  they  are  four,  yet 
together  constitute  a  one.  In  "  Noah,"  by  whom  the  Ancient 
Church  in  general  is  meant,  are  contained,  as  in  a  parent  or 
seed,  the  churches  that  were  derived  from  that  church ;  and 
for  this  reason  by  "they"  is  signified  the  Ancient  Church. 
All  those  churches  which  were  called  "  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japh- 
eth," together  constitute  the  church  which  is  called  the  An- 
cient Church. 

774.  That  by  the  "  wild  animal  after  its  kind,"  is  signified 
every  spiritual  good,  and  by    "beast  after  its  kind,"  every 
natural  good,  and  by  "  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the 
earth,"  every  sensuous  and  corporeal  good,  has  been  stated 
and  shown  before  (n.  45,  46,  142,  143,  246).     At  first  view  it 
may  appear  as  if  it  could  not  be  that  the  "  wild  animal"  signi- 
fies  spiritual  good ;    yet  that  this   is  the  true   signification 
appears  from  the  series  of  expressions,  in  that  mention  is  first 
made  of  "  they,"  meaning  the  man  of  the  church ;  next  of 
"  wild  animal ;"    then  of    "  beast ;"  and  lastly  of  "  creeping 
thing."     So  that  "  wild  animal"  involves  what  is  of  higher 
worth  and  excellence  than   "beast,"  the  reason  of  which  is 
that  in  the  Hebrew  language  the  expression  "wild  animal" 
means  also  an  animal  in  which  there  is  a  living  soul.    And  so 
it  does  not  here  mean  every  wild  animal,  but  every  animal  in 
which  there  is  a  living  soul,  for  it  is  the  same  word.    That  by 
"  animals,"  "  beasts,"  and  "  creeping  things  that  creep  upon 
the  earth,"  are  signified  things  pertaining  to  the  will,  has 
been  stated  and  shown  before,  and  will  be  further  shown  in 
what  presently  follows,  where  birds  will  be  spoken  of. 

775.  It  is  said  of  each  "after  its  kind,"  because  there  are 
genera  and  species  of  all  goods,  both  spiritual  and  natural, 
and  also  of  the  derivative  sensuous  and  corporeal  goods.     So 
many  genera  are  there  of  spiritual  goods,  and  so  many  genera 
likewise  of  spiritual  truths,  that  they  cannot  be  numbered ; 
still  less  can  the  species  of  the  genera.     In  heaven  all  goods 
and  truths,  celestial  and  spiritual,  are  so  distinct  in  their 
genera,  and  these  in  their  species,  that  there  is  not  the  least 
of  them  which  is  not  most  distinct ;  and  so  innumerable  are 
they,  that  the  specific  differences  may  be  said  to  be  unlimited. 
From  this  it  may  be  seen  how  poor  and  almost  non-existent 

VOL.  I.— 23 


354  GENESIS  [N.  776 

is  human  wisdom,  which  scarcely  knows  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  spiritual  good  or  spiritual  truth,  much  less  what  it  is. 
From  celestial  and  spiritual  goods  and  their  derivative  truths, 
issue  and  descend  natural  goods  and  truths.  For  there  is  never 
any  natural  good  and  truth  that  does  not  spring  from  spiritual 
good,  and  this  from  celestial,  and  also  subsist  from  the  same. 
If  the  spiritual  should  withdraw  from  the  natural,  the  natural 
would  be  nothing.  The  origin  of  all  things  (rerum)  is  in  this 
wise :  all  things,  both  in  general  and  in  particular,  are  from 
the  Lord ;  from  Him  is  the  celestial ;  from  Him  through  the 
celestial  comes  forth  the  spiritual ;  through  the  spiritual  the 
natural ;  through  the  natural  the  corporeal  and  the  sensuous. 
And  as  they  all  come  forth  from  the  Lord  in  this  way,  so  also 
do  they  subsist  from  Him,  for,  as  is  well  known,  subsistence 
is  a  perpetual  coming  into  existence.  They  who  have  a  differ- 
ent conception  of  the  coming  into  existence  and  rise  of  things, 
like  those  who  worship  nature  and  deduce  from  her  the  origins 
of  things,  are  in  principles  so  deadly  that  the  phantasies  of  the 
wild  beasts  of  the  forest  may  be  called  far  more  sane.  Such  are 
very  many  who  appear  to  themselves  to  excel  others  in  wisdom. 
776.  That  "  every  fowl  after  its  kind"  signifies  every  spirit- 
ual truth,  "  flying  thing"  natural  truth,  and  "  winged  thing" 
sensuous  truth,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  stated  and 
shown  before  concerning  "  birds"  (as  at  n.  40).  The  most  an- 
cient people  likened  man's  thoughts  to  birds,  because  rela- 
tively to  the  things  of  the  will,  thoughts  are  like  birds.  As 
mention  is  made  here  of  "  fowl,"  "  flying  thing,"  and  "  winged 
thing,"  and  of  these  in  succession,  like  things  intellectual, 
rational,  and  sensuous  in  man,  in  order  that  no  one  may  doubt 
that  they  signify  these  things,  some  passages  from  the  Word 
may  be  adduced  in  confirmation,  from  which  it  will  also  be 
plain  that  "beasts"  signify  such  things  as  have  been  stated. 
[2]  Thus  in  David  :— 

Thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the  works  of  Thy  hands : 
Thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet ;  all  sheep  and  oxen,  yea,  and  the 
beasts  of  the  fields,  the  fowl  of  the  heaven,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea  (Ps. 
viii.  6-8). 

This  is  said  of  the  Lord,  whose  dominion  over  man,  and  over 
the  things  pertaining  to  man,  is  thus  described.     Otherwise 


N.  776]  CHAPTER   VII.  VERS.  14,  15  355 

what  would  be  the  dominion  over  "  beasts"  and  "  fowls  ?" 
Again : — 

Fruitful  trees  and  all  cedars,  the  wild  animal  and  every  beast,  creep- 
ing things  and  flying  fowl,  let  them  praise  the  name  of  Jehovah  (cxlviii. 
9,  10,  13). 

The  "  fruitful  tree"  denotes  the  celestial  man ;  the  "  cedar,"  the 
spiritual  man.  The  "  wild  animal,"  and  "  beast,"  and  "  creep- 
ing thing,"  are  their  goods,  as  in  the  history  before  us ;  the 
"  flying  fowl"  is  their  truths  ;  from  all  of  which  they  can 
"  praise  the  name  of  Jehovah."  By  no  means  can  the  wild 
animal,  the  beast,  the  creeping  thing,  and  the  bird  do  this.  In 
profane  writings  such  things  may  be  said  by  hyperbolism,  but 
there  are  no  hyperbolisms  in  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  but  things 
significative  and  representative.  [3]  In  Ezeklel : — 

The  fishes  of  the  sea,  and  the  fowls  of  the  heaven,  and  the  wild  ani- 
mal of  the  field,  and  all  creeping  things  that  creep  upon  the  earth,  and 
all  the  men  that  are  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  shall  shake  at  My  pres- 
ence (xxxviii.  20). 

That  such  things  are  here  signified  by  "  beasts"  and  "  fowls" 
is  very  manifest ;  for  how  would  it  be  to  the  glory  of  Jehovah 
if  fishes,  birds,  and  beasts  should  shake  ?  Can  any  one  sup- 
pose that  such  sayings  would  be  holy  if  they  did  not  involve 
holy  things  ?  In  Jeremiah : — 

I  beheld,  and  lo  there  was  no  man,  and  all  the  birds  of  the  heavens 
were  fled  (iv.  25), 

denoting  all  good  and  truth;  "man"  also  denotes  here  the 
good  of  love.  Again  : — 

They  are  burned  up,  so  that  none  passeth  through,  neither  can  men 
hear  the  voice  of  the  cattle  ;  both  the  fowl  of  the  heavens  and  the  beast 
are  fled,  they  are  gone  (ix.  10), 

denoting  in  like  manner  that  all  truth  and  good  have  departed. 
[4]  And  again  : — 

How  long  shall  the  land  mourn,  and  the  herb  of  every  field  wither  ? 
for  the  wickedness  of  them  that  dwell  therein  the  beasts  are  consumed 
and  the  birds,  because  they  said,  He  shall  not  see  our  latter  end  (xii.  4). 

Here  the  "  beasts"  denote  goods,  and  the  "  birds"  truths,  which 
perished.  In  Zephaniah : — 


356  GENESIS  [N.  776 

I  will  consume  man  and  beast,  I  will  consume  the  fowls  of  the  heaven 
and  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  and  the  stumbling-blocks  with  the  wicked  ;  and 
I  will  cut  off  man  from  off  the  face  of  the  ground  (i.  3). 

Here  "  man  and  beast"  denote  the  things  which  are  of  love 
and  of  its  good ;  the  "  fowls  of  the  heaven  and  the  fishes  of 
the  sea,"  the  things  which  are  of  the  understanding,  thus  which 
are  of  truth.  These  are  called  "stumbling-blocks"  because 
goods  and  truths  are  stumbling-blocks  to  the  wicked,  but  not 
beasts  and  birds  ;  and  they  are  also  plainly  spoken  of  "  man." 
In  David: — 

The  trees  of  Jehovah  are  satisfied,  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  which  He 
hath  planted,  where  the  birds  make  their  nests  (civ.  16,  17). 

The  "  trees  of  Jehovah"  and  the  "  cedars  of  Lebanon"  denote 
the  spiritual  man ;  the  "  birds"  his  rational  or  natural  truths, 
which  are  as  "  nests."  [5]  It  was  moreover  a  common  form  of 
expression  that  "  birds  would  make  their  nests  in  the  branches," 
signifying  truths,  as  in  Ezekiel : — 

In  the  mountain  of  the  height  of  Israel  will  I  plant  it,  and  it  shall  lift 
up  its  bough,  and  bear  fruit,  and  be  a  goodly  cedar ;  and  under  it  shall 
dwell  every  bird  of  every  wing ;  in  the  shadow  of  the  branches  thereof 
shall  they  dwell  (xvii.  23), 

denoting  the  Church  of  the  Gentiles,  which  was  spiritual.  This 
is  "  the  goodly  cedar ;"  the  "  bird  of  every  wing"  denotes  truths 
of  every  kind.  Again  : — 

All  the  birds  of  the  heavens  made  their  nests  in  his  boughs,  and  under 
his  branches  all  the  wild  animals  of  the  field  brought  forth,  and  under 
his  shadow  dwelt  all  great  nations  (xxxi.  6). 

This  is  said  of  Asshur,  which  is  the  spiritual  church  and  is 
called  a  "  cedar ;"  the  "  birds  of  the  heavens"  denote  its  truths ; 
the  "  beasts"  its  goods.  In  Daniel : — 

The  leaves  thereof  were  fair,  and  the  fruit  thereof  much,  and  it  was 
meat  for  all ;  the  beasts  of  the  field  had  shadow  under  it,  and  the  fowls 
of  heaven  dwelt  in  the  branches  thereof  (iv.  12,  21). 

Here  the  "  beasts"  denote  goods,  the  "  fowls  of  the  heavens" 
truths,  as  must  be  evident  to  every  one ;  for  otherwise  of  what 
concern  is  it  that  the  bird  and  the  beasts  dwelt  there  ?  And 
it  is  the  same  with  what  the  Lord  says  : — 

The  kingdom  of  God  is  like  unto  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which  a 
man  took  and  cast  into  his  garden,  and  it  grew,  and  became  a  tree,  and 


N.  776]  CHAPTER   VII.  VERS.  14,  15  357 

the  birds  of  the  heaven  lodged  in  the  branches  thereof  (Luke  xiii.  19 ; 
Matt.  xiii.  31,  32;  Mark  iv.  31,  32). 

777.  It  is  now  evident  that  the  "fowl"  signifies  spiritual 
truth,  the  "  flying  thing"  natural  truth,  and  the  "  winged  thing" 
sensuous  truth ;  and  that  truths  are  distinguished  in  this  way. 
Sensuous  truths,  which  are  those  of  the  sight  and  hearing,  are 
called  "  winged  things,"  because  they  are  outermost ;  and  such 
is  the  signification  of  "  wing"  as  applied  to  other  things  also. 

778.  Now  as  the  "  fowls  of  the  heavens"  signify  truths  of 
the  understanding,  and  thus  thoughts,  they  also  signify  their 
opposites,  such  as  phantasies  or  falsities,  which  being  of  man's 
thought  are  also  called  "  fowls,"  as  for  example  when  it  is  said 
that  the  wicked  "  shall  be  given  for  meat  to  the  fowls  of  heaven 
and  to  the  wild  beasts,"  meaning  phantasies  and  cupidities  (Isa. 
xviii.  6 ;  Jer.  vii.  33 ;  xvi.  4 ;    xix.  7  ;    xxxiv.  20  ;    Ezek.  xxix. 
5 ;  xxxix.  4).      The  Lord  Himself  also  compares  phantasies 
and  false  persuasions  to  "  fowls,"  where  He  says  : — 

The  seed  that  fell  by  the  wayside  was  trodden  under  foot,  and  the 
fowls  of  heaven  came  and  devoured  it  (Matt.  xiii.  4  ;  Luke  viii.  6  ;  Mark 
iv.  4,  15), 

where  the  "  fowls  of  heaven"  are  nothing  else  than  falsities. 

779.  And  they  went  in  unto  Noah  into  the  ark.     That  this 
signifies  that  they  were  saved,  has  been  already  shown.    That 
"  two  and  two"  signify  pairs,  and  what  they  are,  may  be  seen 
at  chapter  vi.  verse  19. 

780.  Of  all  flesh  wherein  is  the  breath  of  lives.     That  this 
signifies  a  new  creature,  or  that  they  received  new  life  from 
the  Lord,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  flesh"  as  being 
in  general  all  mankind,  and  specifically  the  corporeal  man,  as 
before  said  and  shown.     Hence  "  flesh  wherein  is  the  breath 
of  lives,"  signifies  a  regenerated  man,  for  in  his  Own  there  is 
the  Lord's  life,  which  is  the  life  of  charity  and  faith.     Every 
man  is  only  "  flesh ;"  but  when  the  life  of  charity  and  faith  is 
breathed  into  him  by  the  Lord,  the  flesh  is  made  alive,  and 
becomes  spiritual  and  celestial,  and  is  called  a  "  new  creature" 
(Mark  xvi.  15),  from  having  been  created  anew. 

781.  Verse  16.  And  they  that  went  in,  went  in  male  and  fe- 
male of  all  flesh,  as  God  had  commanded  him ;  and  Jehovah 


358  GENESIS  [N.  781 

shut  after  him.  "  They  that  went  in,"  signifies  the  things  that 
were  with  the  man  of  the  church ;  "  went  in  male  and  female 
of  all  flesh,"  signifies  that  there  were  with  him  truths  and 
goods  of  every  kind ;  "  as  God  had  commanded,"  signifies  for 
the  reception  of  which  he  had  been  prepared ;  "  and  Jehovah 
shut  after  him,"  signifies  that  man  no  longer  had  such  com- 
munication with  heaven  as  had  the  man  of  the  celestial 
church. 

782.  Thus  far,  down  to  verse  11,  the  church  has  been  de- 
scribed as  having  been  preserved  in  those  who  were  called 
"  Noah."     The  state  of  the  church  then  follows,  which  is  de- 
scribed, and  first  in  this  passage,  as  already  explained.     Then 
is  described  the  quality  of   this   state  of  the    church.     The 
single  verses  and  even  single  words  involve  peculiarities  of  its 
state.     And  because  the  state  of  the  church  is  now  treated  of, 
what  was  said  just  before  is  repeated,  being  said  twice ;  here, 
in  the  words  "  and  they  that  went  in,  went  in  male  and  female 
of  all  flesh  ;"  while  in  the  verse  just  preceding  it  is  said,  "and 
they  went  in  unto  Noah  into  the  ark,  two  and   two,  of  all 
flesh."     This  repetition  in  the  Word  signifies  that  another 
state  is  treated  of.     Otherwise,  as  any  one  may  comprehend, 
it  would  be  an  entirely  useless  repetition. 

783.  That  "they  that  went  in,"  signifies  the  things  that 
were  with  the  man  of  the  church,  is  therefore  evident ;  and  it 
also  follows  that  "  went  in  male  and  female,  of  all  flesh,"  sig- 
nifies that  there  were  with  him  goods  and  truths  of   every 
kind,  for  it  has  been  stated  and  shown  several  times  before 
that  the  "  male"  and  the  "  female"  signify  truths  and  goods. 
"  As  God  commanded  him."     That  this  signifies  that  he  had 
been  prepared  to  receive  them,  has  also  been  mentioned  below. 
With  the  Lord,  to  "  command"  is  to  prepare  and  do. 

784.  And   Jehovah  shut    after  him.      That  this    signifies 
that  man  no  longer  had  such  communication  with  heaven  as 
had  the  man  of  the  celestial  church,  appears  from  the  following 
statement  of  the  case.    The  state  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church 
was  such  that  they  had  internal  communication  with  heaven, 
and  so  through  heaven  with  the  Lord.     They  were  in  love  to 
the  Lord.      Those  who  are  in  love  to  the  Lord  are  like  angels, 
with  the  difference  only  that  they  are  clothed  with  a  body. 


N.  784]  CHAPTER  VII.  VER.  16  359 

Their  interiors  were  uncovered,  and  were  opened  even  from 
the  Lord.  But  this  new  church  was  different.  They  were 
not  in  love  to  the  Lord,  but  in  faith,  and  through  faith  were 
in  charity  toward  the  neighbor.  Such  cannot  have  internal 
communication,  like  the  most  ancient  man,  but  external.  But 
the  nature  of  internal  and  of  external  communication  it  would 
take  too  long  to  explain.  Every  man,  even  the  wicked,  has 
communication  with  heaven,  through  the  angels  with  him 
(but  with  a  difference  as  to  degree,  that  is,  nearer  or  more 
remote),  for  otherwise  man  could  not  exist.  The  degrees  of 
this  communication  are  without  limit.  A  spiritual  man  cannot 
possibly  have  such  communication  as  can  -the  celestial  man,  for 
the  reason  that  the  Lord  is  in  love,  and  not  so  much  in  faith. 
And  this  is  what  is  signified  by  "  Jehovah  shut  after  him." 
[2]  And  since  those  times  heaven  has  never  been  open  in  the 
way  it  was  to  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church.  It  is 
true  that  many  afterwards  spoke  with  spirits  and  angels :  as 
Moses,  Aaron,  and  others,  but  in  an  entirely  different  way,  con- 
cerning which,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter.  The 
reason  why  heaven  was  closed  is  deeply  hidden,  and  why  it  is 
so  closed  at  this  day  that  man  does  not  even  know  that  there 
are  spirits,  still  less  that  there  are  angels,  with  him,  and  sup- 
poses himself  to  be  entirely  alone  when  without  companions 
in  the  world,  and  when  he  is  thinking  by  himself.  And  yet 
he  is  continually  in  the  company  of  spirits,  who  observe  and 
perceive  what  the  man  is  thinking,  and  what  he  intends  and 
devises,  as  fully  and  plainly  as  if  it  were  manifest  before  all 
in  the  world.  This  the  man  is  ignorant  of,  so  closed  to  him 
is  heaven,  and  yet  it  is  most  true.  The  reason  is  that  if 
heaven  were  not  so  closed  to  him  while  he  is  in  no  faith,  still 
less  in  the  truth  of  faith,  and  still  less  in  charity,  it  would  be 
most  perilous  to  him.  This  is  also  signified  by  the  words  : — 

Jehovah  God  drove  out  the  man,  and  He  placed  at  the  east  of  the 
Garden  of  Eden  the  cherubim,  and  the  flame  of  a  sword  that  turned 
itself  to  keep  the  way  of  the  tree  of  lives  (chapter  iii.  24 :  see  also  what 
is  said  n.  301-303). 

785.  Verses  17,  18.  And  the  flood  was  forty  days  upon  the 
earth,  and  the  waters  increased,  and  bare  up  the  ark,  and  it  was 
lifted  up  from  off  the  earth  ;  and  the  waters  were  strengthened. 


360  GENESIS  [N.  785 

and  increased  greatly  upon  the  earth  ;  and  the  ark  went  upon  the 
face  of  the  waters.  By  "  forty  days,"  is  signified  the  duration  of 
the  church  called  "  Noah ;"  by  "  the  flood,"  falsities  which  still 
inundated  it ;  that  "  the  waters  increased  and  bare  up  the  ark, 
and  it  was  lifted  up  from  off  the  earth,"  signifies  that  such  was 
its  fluctuation  ;  "  the  waters  were  strengthened  and  increased 
greatly  upon  the  earth,  and  the  ark  went  upon  the  face  of  the 
waters,"  signifies  that  its  fluctuations  thus  increased  in  fre- 
quency and  strength. 

786.  That  by  "forty  days"  is  signified  the  duration  of  the 
church  called  "  Noah,"  was  shown  above  (at  verse  4).     Here  it 
is  "  forty  days,"  there  "  forty  days  and  forty  nights ;"  because 
in  that  place  the  duration  of  temptation  was  signified,  in  which 
the  "  nights"  are  anxieties. 

787.  That  by  the  "  flood"  are  signified  falsities  which  still 
inundated  the  church,  also  follows  from  what  was  shown  above ; 
for  a  "  flood"  or  "  inundation"  is  nothing  else  than  an  inunda- 
tion of  falsities.     Before  (at  verse  6),  the  "  flood  of  waters" 
signified  temptation,  as  was  there  shown ;  which  also  is  an  in- 
undation of  falsities  that  evil  spirits  then  excite  in  man.    The 
case  is  the  same  here,  but  without  temptation,  and  therefore  it 
is  said  here  simply  the  "  flood,"  not  the  "  flood  of  waters." 

788.  The  waters  increased  and  bare  up  the  ark,  and  it  was 
lifted  up  from  off  the  earth.     That  this  signifies  that  such 
was  its  fluctuation,  and  that  "  the  waters  were  strengthened 
and  increased  greatly  upon  the  earth,  and  the  ark  went  upon 
the  face  of  the  waters,"  signifies  that  its  fluctuations  thus  in- 
creased in  frequency  and  strength,  cannot  be  evident  unless 
there  be  first  explained  what  was  the  state  of  this  church 
which  is  called  "  Noah."     "  Noah"  was  not  the  Ancient  Church 
itself,  but  was  as  the  parent  or  seed  of  that  church,  as  before 
said.     "  Noah"  together  with  "  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth,"  con- 
stituted the  Ancient  Church,  which  immediately  succeeded  the 
Most  Ancient.     Every  man  of  the  church  called  "  Noah"  was 
of  the  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  and  with  respect 
to  hereditary  evil  was  therefore  in  a  state  nearly  like  that  of 
the  rest  of  the  posterity,  which  perished ;  and  those  who  were 
in  such  a  state  could  na>t  be  regenerated  and  made  spiritual  as 
could  those  who  did  not  derive  such  quality  by  inheritance. 


N.  788]  CHAPTER   VII.  VERS.  17,  18  361 

What  their  hereditary  quality  was,  has  been  stated  above  (n. 
310).  [2]  For  example  (that  the  matter  may  be  more  clearly 
understood)  :  they  who,  like  the  Jews,  are  of  the  seed  of  Jacob, 
cannot  so  well  be  regenerated  as  can  the  Gentiles,  for  they  have 
an  inherent  opposition  to  faith,  not  only  from  principles  im- 
bibed from  infancy  and  afterwards  confirmed,  but  from  heredi- 
tary disposition  also.  That  this  inheres  also  from  hereditary 
disposition,  may  in  some  measure  be  evident  from  their  being 
of  a  different  genius,  of  different  manners,  and  also  of  differ- 
ent features,  from  other  men,  whereby  they  are  distinguishable 
from  others ;  and  these  characteristics  they  have  from  inher- 
itance. And  it  is  the  same  with  the  interior  qualities,  for 
manners  and  features  are  types  of  the  interiors.  Therefore 
converted  Jews  fluctuate  more  than  others  between  truth  and 
falsity.  It  was  the  same  with  the  first  men  of  the  Ancient 
Church,  who  were  called  "  Noah"  because  they  were  of  the 
race  and  seed  of  the  most  ancient  men.  These  are  the  fluctu- 
ations described  here,  and  also  in  what  follows  :  that  Noah  was 
a  husbandman  and  planted  a  vineyard ;  and  that  he  drank  of 
the  wine,  and  was  drunken,  and  lay  uncovered  within  his  tent 
(ix.  20,  21).  That  they  were  few,  was  made  evident  from  the 
fact  that  the  man  of  that  church  was  represented  in  the  world 
of  spirits  as  a  tall  and  slender  man,  clothed  in  white,  in  a 
chamber  of  small  dimensions.  And  yet  it  was  they  who  pre- 
served and  had  among  them  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith. 

789.  The  fluctuations  of  the  man  of  this  church  are  de- 
scribed here ;  first,  by  its  being  said  that  the  "  waters  (that  is, 
falsities)  increased ;"  then,  that  they  "  bare  up  the  ark,"  and 
that  it  was  "  lifted  up  from  off  the  earth ;"  afterwards,  that  the 
"  waters  were  strengthened,  and  increased  greatly  upon  the 
earth ;"  and  finally,  that  the  "  ark  went  upon  the  face  of  the 
waters."  But  to  explain  each  degree  of  the  fluctuation  would 
be  too  prolix,  and  unnecessary.  It  is  sufficient  to  know  that 
they  are  here  described.  We  will  merely  mention  what  is  sig- 
nified by  the  statement  that  the  ark  was  lifted  up  from  off  the 
earth,  and  went  upon  the  face  of  the  waters.  As  no  one  can 
know  this  unless  he  is  informed  how  man  is  withheld  from 
evils  and  falsities,  and  as  this  is  a  hidden  thing,  it  shall  be 
briefly  explained.  Speaking  generally,  every  man,  even  the 


362  GENESIS  [N.  789 

regenerate,  is  such  that  if  the  Lord  did  not  withhold  him  from 
evils  and  falsities  he  would  cast  himself  headlong  into  hell. 
The  very  moment  he  is  not  withheld,  he  rushes  headlong  into 
it.  This  has  been  made  known  to  me  by  experience,  and  was 
also  represented  by  a  horse  (as  before  described,  n.  187,  188). 
This  withholding  from  evils  and  falsities  is  in  effect  a  lifting 
up,  so  that  evils  and  falsities  are  perceived  below,  and  the  man 
above.  Concerning  this  elevation,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy 
hereafter.  It  is  this  elevation  which  is  signified  by  the  "  ark 
being  lifted  up  from  off  the  earth,  and  going  upon  the  face  of 
the  waters." 

790.  That  the  "  waters"  here  and  in  the  following  verses 
signify  falsities,  is  evident  from  the  passages  of  the  Word  ad- 
duced at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter,  and  at  verse  6,  where  a 
"  flood"  or  inundation  of  waters  is  treated  of.  It  is  there  shown 
that  inundations  of  waters  signify  desolations  and  temptations, 
which  involve  the  same  as  falsities  ;  for  desolations  and  temp- 
tations are  nothing  else  than  inundations  of  falsities  that  are 
excited  by  evil  spirits.  That  such  "  waters"  signify  falsities, 
is  because  in  the  Word  "  waters"  in  general  signify  what  is 
spiritual,  that  is,  what  is  of  understanding,  of  reason,  and  of 
memory-knowledge  (intellectuale,  rationale,  et  scientificum)  ;  and 
as  they  signify  these  they  also  signify  their  contraries,  for 
every  falsity  is  a  something  pertaining  to  memory -knowledge, 
and  appears  as  a  thing  of  reason  and  understanding,  because 
it  is  of  the  thought.  [2]  That  "waters"  signify  spiritual 
things,  is  evident  from  many  passages  in  the  Word ;  and  that 
they  also  signify  falsities,  let  the  following  passages,  in  ad- 
dition to  those  already  cited,  serve  for  confirmation.  In 
Isaiah : — 

This  people  hath  refused  the  waters  of  Shiloah  that  go  softly  ;  there- 
fore behold  the  Lord  bringeth  up  upon  them  the  waters  of  the  river, 
strong  and  many,  and  he  shall  go  over  all  his  banks  (viii.  6,  7). 

The  "  waters  that  go  softly,"  here  denote  things  spiritual, 
"  waters  strong  and  many,"  falsities.  Again  : — 

Woe  to  the  land  shadowing  with  wings,  which  is  beyond  the  rivers  of 
Ethiopia ;  that  sendeth  ambassadors  upon  the  sea,  and  in  vessels  of  papy- 
rus upon  the  waters.  Go,  ye  swift  messengers,  to  a  nation  meted  out  and 
trodden  down,  whose  land  the  rivers  have  spoiled  (xviii.  1,  2), 


N.  790]  CHAPTER    VII.  VERS.   17,  18  363 

denoting  the  falsities  which  are  of  the  "  land  shadowing  with 
wings."     [3]  Again  : — 

When  thou  passest  through  the  waters  I  will  be  with  thee,  and  through 
the  rivers  they  shall  not  overflow  thee  (xliii.  2). 

The  "  waters"  and  "  rivers"  denote  difficulties,  and  also  falsi- 
ties.    In  Jeremiah : — 

What  hast  thou  to  do  with  the  way  of  Egypt,  to  drink  the  waters  of 
Shihor  ?  And  what  hast  thou  to  do  with  the  way  of  Assyria,  to  drink 
the  waters  of  the  river  ?  (ii.  18), 

where  "  waters"  denote  falsities  from  reasonings.     Again  : — 

Who  is  this  that  riseth  up  as  a  river  ?  as  the  rivers  his  waters  are  in 
commotion.  Egypt  riseth  up  as  a  river,  and  as  the  rivers  his  waters  toss 
themselves  ;  and  he  said,  I  will  rise  up,  I  will  cover  the  earth,  I  will  de- 
stroy the  city  and  the  inhabitants  thereof  (xlvi.  7,  8), 

where  again  "  waters"  denote  falsities   from   reasonings.     [4] 
In  Ezekiel : — 

Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovih,  When  I  shall  make  thee  a  desolate  city, 
like  the  cities  that  are  not  inhabited,  when  I  shall  bring  up  the  deep 
upon  thee,  and  the  great  waters  shall  cover  thee,  then  will  I  bring  thee 
down  with  them  that  descend  into  the  pit  (xxvi.  19,  20). 

"  Waters"  here  denote  evils  and  the  falsities  therefrom.     In 
Habakkuk : — 

Thou  didst  tread  the  sea  with  thine  horses,  the  mire  of  many  waters 
(iii.  15), 

where  "  waters"  denote  falsities.     In  John  : — 

And  the  serpent  cast  forth  after  the  woman,  out  of  his  mouth,  water 
as  a  river,  that  he  might  cause  her  to  be  carried  away  by  the  stream 
(Rev.  xii.  15,  16). 

Here  "  waters"  denote  falsities  and  lies.     In  David : — 

Send  Thine  hand  from  above,  rescue  me  and  deliver  me  out  of  great 
waters,  out  of  the  hand  of  the  sons  of  the  stranger,  whose  mouth  speaketh 
a  lie,  and  their  right  hand  is  a  right  hand  of  falsehood  (Ps.  cxliv.  7,  8). 

"  Great  waters"  here  manifestly  denote  falsities  ;  the  "  sons  of 
the  stranger"  also  signify  falsities. 

791.  Thus  far  "  Noah"  has  been  treated  of,  or  the  regenerate 
men  called  "  Noah,"  who  were  in  the  "  ark,"  and  were  "  lifted 
up  above  the  waters."  The  subject  will  now  be  those  descend- 
ants of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  who  were  under  the  waters, 
or  were  submerged  by  the  waters. 


364  GENESIS  [N.  792 

792.  Verses  19,  20.  And  the  waters  were  strengthened  very 
exceedingly  upon  the  earth,  and  all  the  high  mountains  that 
were  under  the  whole  heaven  were  covered,     fifteen  cubits  up- 
ward did  the  waters  prevail,  and  covered  the  mountains.    "  And 
the  waters  were  strengthened  very  exceedingly  upon  the  earth," 
signifies  that  persuasions  of  falsity  thus  increased ;  "  and  all 
the  high  mountains  that  were  under  the  whole  heaven  were 
covered,"  signifies  that  all  goods  of  charity  were  extinguished ; 
"fifteen  cubits  upward  did  the  waters  prevail,  and  covered 
the  mountains,"  signifies  that  nothing  of  charity  remained; 
"  fifteen"  signifies  so  few  as  to  be  scarcely  any. 

793.  The  subject  now  treated  of,  up  to  the  end  of -this  chap- 
ter, is  the  antediluvians  who  perished,  as  is  evident  from  the 
particulars  of  the  description.     They  who  are  in  the  internal 
sense  can  know  instantly,  and  indeed  from  a  single  word,  what 
subject  is  treated  of ;  and  especially  can  they  know  this  from 
the  connection  of  several  words.     When  a  different  subject  is 
taken  up,  at  once  the  words  are  different,  or  the  same  words 
stand  in  a  different  connection.     The  reason  is  that  there  are 
words  peculiar  to  spiritual  things,  and  words  peculiar  to  celes- 
tial things ;  or,  what  is  the  same,  there  are  words  peculiar  to 
matters  of  understanding,  and  others  to  matters  of  will.     For 
example :    the  word  "  desolation"  is  predicated  of   spiritual 
things,  and  "  vastation"  of  celestial  things  ;  "  city"  is  predicated 
of  spiritual  things,  "  mountain"  of  celestial  things ;  and  so  on. 
The  case  is  the  same  with  the  connective  expressions.     And 
(what  cannot  fail  to  be  a  matter  of  surprise)  in  the  Hebrew  lan- 
guage the  words  are  very  often  distinguishable  by  their  sound ; 
for  in  those  which  belong  to  the  spiritual  class  the  first  three 
vowels  are  usually  dominant,  and  in  words  that  are  of  the  celes- 
tial class,  the  last  two  vowels.     That  in  these  verses  a  different 
subject  is  now  treated  of,  appears  also  from  the  repetition  al- 
ready spoken  of  (in  that  it  is  here  again  said,  as  in  the  preceding 
verse, "  and  the  waters  were  strengthened  very  exceedingly  upon 
the  earth"),  and  the  same  is  evident  also  from  what  follows. 

794.  And  the  waters  were  strengthened  very  exceedingly  upon 
the  earth.     That  this  signifies  that  persuasions  of  falsity  thus 
increased,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  and  shown  just 
above  about  "  waters,"  namely,  that  the  waters  of  a  flood,  or 


N.  794]  CHAPTER   VII.  VERS.   19,  20  365 

inundations,  signify  falsities.  Here,  because  falsities  or  per- 
suasions of  what  was  false  were  still  more  increased,  it  is  said 
that  the  "  waters  were  strengthened  very  exceedingly,"  which 
in  the  original  language  is  the  superlative.  Falsities  are  prin- 
ciples and  persuasions  of  what  is  false,  and  that  these  had  in- 
creased immensely  among  the  antediluvians,  is  evident  from 
all  that  has  been  said  before  concerning  them.  Persuasions 
immensely  increase  when  men  mingle  truths  with  cupidities, 
or  make  them  favor  the  loves  of  self  and  of  the  world ;  for 
then  in  a  thousand  ways  they  pervert  them  and  force  them 
into  agreement.  For  who  that  has  imbibed  or  framed  for  him- 
self a  false  principle  does  not  confirm  it  by  much  that  he  has 
learned ;  and  even  from  the  Word  ?  Is  there  any  heresy  that 
does  not  thus  lay  hold  of  tilings  to  confirm  it  ?  and  even  force, 
and  in  divers  ways  explain  and  distort,  things  that  are  not  in 
agreement,  so  that  they  may  not  disagree  ?  [2]  For  example  : 
he  who  adopts  the  principle  that  faith  alone  is  saving,  without 
the  goods  of  charity ;  can  he  not  weave  a  whole  system  of  doc- 
trine out  of  the  Word  ?  and  this  without  in  the  least  caring 
for,  or  considering,  or  even  seeing,  what  the  Lord  says,  that 
"  the  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit,"  and  that  "  every  tree  that 
bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the 
lire"  (Matt.  iii.  10 ;  vii.  16-20 ;  xii.  33).  What  is  more  pleasing 
than  to  live  after  the  flesh,  and  yet  be  saved  if  only  one  knows 
what  is  true,  though  he  does  nothing  of  good  ?  Every  cupidity 
that  a  man  favors  forms  the  life  of  his  will,  and  every  principle 
or  persuasion  of  falsity  forms  the  life  of  his  understanding. 
These  lives  make  one  when  the  truths  or  doctrinals  of  faith 
are  immersed  in  cupidities.  Every  man  thus  forms  for  him- 
self as  it  were  a  soul,  and  such  after  death  does  his  life  become. 
Nothing  therefore  is  of  more  importance  to  a  man  than  to  know 
what  is  true.  When  he  knows  what  is  true,  and  knows  it  so 
well  that  it  cannot  be  perverted,  then  it  cannot  be  so  much 
immersed  in  cupidities  and  have  such  deadly  effect.  What 
should  a  man  have  more  at  heart  than  his  life  to  eternity  ? 
If  in  the  life  of  the  body  he  destroys  his  soul,  does  he  not  de- 
stroy it  to  eternity  ? 

795.  All  the  high  mountains  that  were  under  the  whole  heaven 
were  covered.     That  this  signifies  that  all  the  goods  of  charity 


366  GENESIS  [N.  796 

were  extinguished,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  moun- 
tains among  the  most  ancient  people.  "With  them  mountains 
signified  the  Lord,  for  the  reason  that  they  held  their  worship  of 
Him  on  mountains,  because  these  were  the  highest  places  on 
earth.  Hence  "mountains"  signified  celestial  things  (which 
also  were  called  the  "  highest"),  consequently  love  and  charity, 
and  thereby  the  goods  of  love  and  charity,  which  are  celestial. 
And  in  the  opposite  sense  those  also  are  called  "mountains'' 
who  are  vainglorious ;  and  therefore  a  "  mountain"  stands  for 
the  very  love  of  self.  The  Most  Ancient  Church  is  also  sig- 
nified in  the  Word  by  "  mountains,"  from  these  being  elevated 
above  the  earth  and  nearer  as  it  were  to  heaven,  to  the  begin- 
nings of  things.  [2]  That  "  mountains"  signify  the  Lord,  and 
all  things  celestial  from  Him,  or  the  goods  of  love  and  charity, 
is  evident  from  the  following  passages  in  the  Word,  from  which 
it  is  plain  what  they  signify  in  particular  cases,  for  all  things 
in  the  Word,  both  in  general  and  in  particular,  have  a  signifi- 
cation according  to  the  subject  to  which  they  are  applied.  In 
David : — 

The  mountains  shall  bring  peace,  and  the  hills,  in  righteousness  (Ps. 
Ixxii.  3). 

"Mountains"  denote  here  love  to  the  Lord;  "hills,"  love  to- 
ward the  neighbor,  such  as  was  with  the  Most  Ancient  Church, 
which  because  of  this  character  is  also  signified  in  the  Word 
by  "  mountains"  and  "  hills."  In  Ezekiel : — 

In  the  mountain  of  My  holiness,  in  the  mountain  of  the  height  of 
Israel,  saith  the  Lord  Jehovih,  there  shall  all  the  house  of  Israel  serve 
Me,  that  whole  land  (xx.  40). 

The  "mountain  of  holiness"  here  denotes  love  to  the  Lord; 
the  "  mountain  of  the  height  of  Israel,"  charity  toward  the 
neighbor.  In  Isaiah: — 

It  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  latter  days  that  the  mountain  of  the  house 
of  Jehovah  shall  be  established  in  the  top  of  the  mountains,  and  shall  be 
exalted  above  the  hills  (ii.  2), 

where  "  mountains"  denote  the  Lord,  and  thence  all  that  is 
celestial.  Again : — 

In  this  mountain  shall  Jehovah  Zebaoth  make  unto  all  peoples  a  feast 
of  fat  things,  and  He  will  take  away  in  this  mountain  the  face  of  the 
covering  (xxv  6,  7). 


N.  795]  CHAPTER   VII.  VERS.   19,  20  367 

"  Mountain"  here  denotes  the  Lord,  and  hence  all  that  is 
celestial.  [3]  Again  : — 

And  there  shall  be  upon  every  lofty  mountain,  and  upon  every  high 
hill,  rivers,  streams  of  waters  (xxx.  25), 

where  "  mountains"  denote  goods  of  love ;  "  hills,"  goods  of 
charity,  from  which  are  truths  of  faith,  which  are  the  "  rivers 
and  streams  of  waters."  Again  :— 

Ye  shall  have  a  song,  as  in  the  night  when  a  holy  feast  is  kept ;  and 
gladness  of  heart,  as  when  one  goeth  with  a  pipe  to  come  into  the  moun- 
tain of  Jehovah,  to  the  Rock  of  Israel  (xxx.  29). 

The  "  mountain  of  Jehovah"  here  denotes  the  Lord  with  refer- 
ence to  the  goods  of  love ;  the  "  Rock  of  Israel,"  the  Lord 
with  reference  to  the  goods  of  charity.  Again  : — 

Jehovah  Zebaoth  shall  come  down  to  fight  upon  Mount  Zion  and  upon 
the  hill  thereof  (xxxi.  4). 

"  Mount  Zion,"  here  and  elsewhere  in  many  places,  denotes 
the  Lord,  and  hence  all  that  is  celestial  and  which  is  love ; 
and  "  hills"  denote  what  is  celestial  of  lower  degree,  which  is 
charity.  [4]  Again  : — 

O  Zion  that  bringest  good  tidings,  get  thee  up  into  the  high  mountain  ; 
O  Jerusalem  that  bringest  good  tidings,  lift  up  thy  voice  with  strength 
(xl.  9). 

To  "  go  up  into  the  high  mountain  and  bring  good  tidings,"  is 
to  worship  the  Lord  from  love  and  charity,  which  are  inmost, 
and  are  therefore  also  called  "  highest,"  because  what  is  inmost 
is  called  highest.  Again : — 

Let  the  inhabitants  of  the  rock  sing,  let  them  shout  from  the  top  of 
the  mountains  (xlii.  11). 

The  "  inhabitants  of  the  rock"  denote  those  who  are  in  charity ; 
to  "shout  from  the  top  of  the  mountains"  is  to  worship  the 
Lord  from  love.  Again  : — 

How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth 
good  tidings,  that  publisheth  peace,  that  bringeth  good  tidings  of  good, 
that  publisheth  salvation  (Hi.  7). 

To  "  bring  good  tidings  upon  the  mountains,"  is  likewise  to 
preach  the  Lord  from  the  doctrine  of  love  and  charity,  and 
from  these  to  worship  Him.  Again : — 


368  GENESIS  [N.  795 

The  mountains  and  the  hills  shall  break  forth  before  you  into  singing, 
and  all  the  trees  of  the  field  shall  clap  their  hands  (Iv.  12)  ; 

denoting  worship  of  the  Lord  from  love  and  charity,  which 
are  "  the  mountains  and  the  hills ;"  and  from  the  faith  thence 
derived,  which  are  the  "  trees  of  the  field."  [5]  Again  : — 

I  will  make  all  My  mountains  a  way,  and  My  highways  shall  be  ex- 
alted (xlix.  11)  ; 

where  "  mountains"  denote  love  and  charity ;  and  "  way"  and 
"  highways,"  the  truths  of  faith  thence  derived,  which  are  said 
to  be  "  exalted"  when  they  are  from  love  and  charity  as  their 
inmost.  Again : — 

He  that  putteth  his  trust  in  Me  shall  possess  the  land  as  a  heritage, 
and  shall  inherit  the  mountain  of  My  holiness  (Ivii.  13)  ; 

denoting  the  Lord's  kingdom,  wherein  is  nothing  but  love  and 
charity.  Again : — 

I  will  bring  forth  a  seed  out  of  Jacob,  and  out  of  Judah  an  inheritor 
of  My  mountains,  and  Mine  elect  shall  possess  it  (Ixv.  9). 

"  Mountains"  here  denote  the  Lord's  kingdom  and  celestial 
goods ;  "  Judah,"  the  celestial  church.  And  again  : — 

Thus  saith  the  high  and  lofty  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity,  whose 
name  is  holy,  I  dwell  in  the  high  and  holy  place  (Ivii.  15). 

"  High"  here  denotes  what  is  holy ;  and  hence  it  is  that  on 
account  of  their  height  above  the  earth,  mountains  signify  the 
Lord  and  His  holy  celestial  things.  And  it  was  for  this  reason 
that  the  Lord  promulgated  the  Law  from  Mount  Sinai.  Love 
and  charity  are  also  meant  by  the  Lord,  by  "mountains," 
where,  speaking  of  the  consummation  of  the  age,  He  says : — 

Then  let  them  that  are  in  Judea  flee  into  the  mountains  (Matt.  xxiv. 
16  ;  Luke  xxi.  21 ;  Mark  xiii.  14), 

where  "  Judea"  denotes  the  vastated  church. 

796.  As  the  Most  Ancient  Church  held  holy  worship  upon 
mountains,  the  Ancient  Church  did  the  same.  And  hence  in 
all  the  representative  churches  of  that  time,  and  in  all  the 
nations  too,  the  custom  prevailed  of  sacrificing  upon  moun- 
tains and  of  building  high  places,  as  is  evident  from  what  is 
related  of  Abram  (Gen.  xii.  1;  xxii.  2) ;  and  of  the  Jews  be- 
fore the  building  of  the  temple  (Deut.  xxvii.  4-7 ;  Josh,  viii 


N.  796]  CHAPTER   VII.  VERS.   19,  20  369 

30 ;  1  Sam.  ix.  12-14,  19 ;  x.  5 ;  1  Kings  iii.  2-4) ;  of  the  na- 
tions (Deut.  xii.  2  ;  2  Kings  xvii.  9-11) ;  and  of  the  idolatrous 
Jews  (Isa.  Ivii.  7 ;  1  Kings  xi.  7 ;  xiv.  23 ;  xxii.  43 ;  2  Kings 
xii.  3;  xiv.  4;  xv.  3,  4,  34,  35;  xvi.  4;  xvii.  9-11;  xxi.  5; 
xxiii.  5,  8,  9,  13, 15). 

797.  From  all  this  it  is  now  evident  what  is  signified  by  the 
"  waters  with  which  the  mountains  were  covered,"  namely,  per- 
suasions of  falsity,  which  extinguished  all  the  good  of  charity. 

798.  Fifteen  cubits  upward  did  the  waters  prevail,  and  cov- 
ered the  mountains.    That  this  signifies  that  nothing  of  charity 
remained ;  and  that  "  fifteen"  signifies  so  few  as  to  be  scarcely 
any,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  the  number  "  five"  (of 
which  above,  chapter  vi.  verse  15),  where  it  was  shown  that  in 
the  style  of  the  Word,  or  in  the  internal  sense,  "  five"  signifies 
a  few ;  and  since  the  number  "  fifteen"  is  composed  of  five, 
signifying  a  few,  and  of  ten,  which  signifies  remains  (as  was 
shown  above,  chapter  vi.  verse  3),  therefore  "fifteen"  signifies 
remains,  which  with  this  people  were  scarcely  any.     For  so 
many  were  the  persuasions  of  falsity  that  they  extinguished 
every  good.     As  for  the  remains  with  man,  the  fact  was,  as 
already  said,  that  principles  of  falsity,  and  still  more,  persua- 
sions of  falsity,  such  as  were  with  these  antediluvians,  had  so 
entirely  shut  in  and  hidden  away  the  remains  that  these  could 
not  be  brought  out,  and  if  brought  out  they  would  forthwith 
have  been  falsified.    For  such  is  the  life  of  persuasions  that  it 
not  only  rejects  every  truth  and  absorbs  every  falsity,  but  also 
perverts  every  truth  that  comes  near. 

799.  Verses  21,  22.    And  all  flesh  died  that  creepeth  upon 
•the  earth,  as  to  fowl,  and  as  to  beast,  and  as  to  wild  animal,  and 
as  to  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth;  and 
every  man  ;  all  in  whose  nostrils  was  the  breathing  of  the  breath 
of  lives,  of  all  that  ivas  in  the  dry  land,  died.     "All  flesh  died 
that  creepeth  upon  the  earth,"  signifies  that  they  who  were  of 
the  last  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  became  extinct ; 
"as  to  fowl,  and  as  to  beast,  and  as  to  wild  animal,  and  as  to 
every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth,"  signifies 
their  persuasions,  wherein  the  "  fowl"  signifies  affections  of 
what  is  false,  "  beast"  cupidities,  "  wild  animal"  pleasures,  and 
"creeping  thing"  corporeal  and  earthly  things.     These  in  one 

VOL.  L— 24 


370  GENESIS  [N.  799 

complex  are  called  "  every  man."  "  All  in  whose  nostrils  was 
the  breathing  of  the  breath  of  lives,"  signifies  the  men  who 
were  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  in  whose  nostrils  was  the 
"  breathing  of  the  breath  of  lives,"  that  is,  in  whom  was  the 
life  of  love  and  of  the  derivative  faith ;  "  of  all  that  was  in  the 
dry  land,"  signifies  those  men  in  whom  there  was  no  longer 
such  life ;  that  they  "  died,"  signifies  that  they  expired. 

800.  And  all  flesh  died  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth.     That 
this  signifies  that  they  who  were  of  the  last  posterity  of  the 
Most  Ancient  Church  became  extinct,  is  evident  from  what 
follows,  where  they  are  described  as  to  their  persuasions  and 
their  cupidities.    They  are  here  first  called  "  flesh  that  creepeth 
upon  the  earth,"  for  the  reason  that  they  had  become  altogether 
sensuous  and  corporeal.     Sensuous  and  corporeal  things,  as 
has  been  said,  were  likened  by  the  most  ancient  men  to  creep- 
ing things  ;  and  therefore  when  "  flesh  moving  upon  the  earth" 
is  spoken  of,  such  a  man  is  signified  as  has  become  merely  sen- 
suous and  corporeal.     That  "  flesh"  signifies  all  mankind  in 
general,  and  specifically  the  corporeal  man,  has  been  said  and 
shown  before. 

801.  From  the  description  of  these  antediluvians  as  here 
given,  it  is  evident  what  was  the  style  of  writing  among  the 
most  ancient  people,  and  thus  what  the  prophetic  style  was. 
They  are  described  here  and  up  to  the  end  of  this  chapter ;  in 
these  verses  they  are  described  in  respect  to  their  persuasions, 
and  in  verse  23  in  respect  to  their  cupidities  ;  that  is,  they  are 
first  described  in  respect  to  the  state  of  the  things  of  their 
understanding,  and  then  in  respect  to  the  state  of  the  things 
of  their  will.     And  although  with  them  there  were  in  reality 
no  things  of  understanding  or  of  will,  still  the  things  contrary 
to  them  are  so  to  be  called ;  that  is  to  say,  such  things  as  per- 
suasions of  falsity,  which  are  by  no  means  things  of  under- 
standing, and  yet  are  things  of  thought  and  reason  ;  and  also 
such  things  as  cupidities,  which  are  by  no  means  things  of 
will.     The  antediluvians  are  described,  I  say,  first  as  to  their 
false  persuasions,  and  then  as  to  their  cupidities,  which  is  the 
reason  why  the  things  contained  in  verse  21  are  repeated  in 
verse  23,  but  in  a  different  order.     Such  also  is  the  prophetic 
style.     [2]  The  reason  is  that  with  man  there  are  two  lives : 


N.  801]  CHAPTER   VII.  VERS.  21,  22  371 

one,  of  the  things  of  the  understanding ;  the  other,  of  the  things 
of  the  will,  and  these  lives  are  most  distinct  from  each  other. 
Man  consists  of  both,  and  although  at  this  day  they  are  sepa- 
rated in  man,  nevertheless  they  flow  one  into  the  other,  and 
for  the  most  part  unite.  That  they  unite,  and  how  they  unite, 
can  be  established  and  made  clear  by  many  illustrations.  Since 
man  therefore  consists  of  these  two  parts  (the  understanding 
and  the  will,  of  which  the  one  flows  into  the  other),  when  man 
is  described  in  the  Word,  he  is  described  with  distinctiveness 
as  to  the  one  part  and  as  to  the  other.  This  is  the  reason  of 
the  repetitions,  and  without  them  the  description  would  be  de- 
fective. And  the  case  is  the  same  with  every  other  thing  as 
it  is  here  with  the  will  and  the  understanding,  for  things  are 
circumstanced  exactly  as  are  their  subjects,  seeing  that  they 
belong  to  their  subjects  because  they  come  forth  from  their 
subjects ;  a  thing  separated  from  its  subject,  that  is,  from  its 
substance,  is  no  thing.  And  this  is  the  reason  why  things  are 
described  in  the  Word  in  a  similar  way  in  respect  to  each  con- 
stituent part,  for  in  this  way  the  description  of  each  thing  is  full. 

802.  That  persuasions  are  here  treated  of,  and  cupidities  in 
verse  23,  may  be  known  from  the  fact  that  in  this  verse  "  fowl" 
is  first  mentioned,  and  then  "  beast."    For  "  fowl"  signifies  what 
is  of  the  understanding,  or  of  reason,  and  "beast"  what  is  of 
the  will.    But  when  things  belonging  to  cupidities  ara  described, 
as  in  verse  23,  "  beast"  is  first  mentioned,  and  then  "  fowl ;" 
and  this  for  the  reason,  as  was  said,  that  the  one  thus  recipro- 
cally flows  into  the  other,  and  so  the  description  of  them  is  full. 

803.  As  to  fowl,  and  as  to  beast,  and  as  to  wild  animal,  and 
as  to  eve)"y  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth.     That 
these  signify  the  persuasions  of  those  in  whom  "  fowl"  signifies 
affections  of  what  is  false,  "beast"  cupidities,  "wild  animal" 
pleasures,  and  "  creeping  thing"  things  corporeal  and  earthly, 
is  evident  from  what  has  been  already  shown  respecting  the 
signification  of  "  fowls"  and  of  "  beasts"  (concerning  "  fowls"  in 
n.  40,  and  above  at  verses  14  and  15  of  this  chapter ;  concern- 
ing "  beasts"  also  in  the  same  place,  and  in  n.  45,  46, 142, 143, 
and  246).     As  "  fowls"  signify  things  of  understanding,  of  rea- 
son, and  of  memory -knowledge,  they  signify  also  the  contraries 
of  these,  as  what  is  of  perverted  reason,  falsities,  and  affec- 


372  GENESIS  [N.  803 

tions  of  what  is  false.  The  persuasions  of  the  antediluvians 
are  here  fully  described,  namely,  that  there  were  in  them  af- 
fections of  what  is  false,  cupidities,  pleasures,  things  corporeal 
and  earthly.  That  all  these  are  within  persuasions,  man  is  not 
aware,  believing  a  principle  or  a  persuasion  of  what  is  false  to 
be  but  a  simple  thing,  or  one  general  thing;  but  he  is  much 
mistaken,  for  the  case  is  very  different.  Every  single  affection 
of  a  man  derives  its  existence  and  nature  from  things  of  his 
understanding  and  at  the  same  time  from  those  of  his  will,  so 
that  the  whole  man,  both  as  to  all  things  of  his  understanding 
and  all  things  of  his  will,  is  in  his  every  affection,  and  even  in 
the  most  individual  or  least  things  of  his  affection.  [2]  This 
has  been  made  evident  to  me  by  numerous  experiences,  as  for 
example  (to  mention  only  one)  that  the  quality  of  a  spirit  can 
be  known  in  the  other  life  from  one  single  idea  of  his  thought. 
Indeed  angels  have  from  the  Lord  the  power  of  knowing  at 
once,  when  they  but  look  upon  any  one,  what  his  character  is, 
nor  is  there  any  mistake.  It  is  therefore  evident  that  every 
single  idea  and  every  single  affection  of  a  man,  even  every  least 
bit  of  his  affection,  is  an  image  of  him  and  a  likeness  of  him, 
that  is,  there  is  present  therein,  nearly  and  remotely,  some- 
thing from  all  his  understanding  and  from  all  his  will.  In 
this  way  then  are  described  the  direful  persuasions  of  the  ante- 
diluvians :  that  there  were  in  them  affections  of  what  is  false, 
and  affections  of  what  is  evil,  or  cupidities,  and  also  pleasures, 
and  finally  things  corporeal  and  earthly.  '  All  these  are  within 
such  persuasions  ;  and  not  only  in  the  persuasions  in  general, 
but  also  in  the  most  individual  or  least  things  of  the  persua- 
sions, in  which  things  corporeal  and  earthly  predominate.  If 
man  should  know  how  much  there  is  within  one  principle  and 
one  persuasion  of  what  is  false,  he  would  shudder.  It  is  a  kind 
of  image  of  hell.  But  if  it  be  from  innocence  or  from  igno- 
rance, the  falsities  therein  are  easily  shaken  off. 

804.  It  is  added,  "  every  man,"  by  which  is  signified  that 
these  things  were  in  that  man.     This  is  a  general  concluding 
clause  which  includes  all  that  goes  before.     Such  clauses  are 
often  added. 

805.  All  in  whose  nostrils  was  the  breathing  of  the  breath  of 
lives      That   this    signifies  the  men  who  were  of   the  Most 


N.  805]  CHAPTER  VII.    VERS.  21,  22  373 

Ancient  Church  in  whose  nostrils  was  the  breathing  of  the 
breath  of  lives,  that  is,  the  life  of  love  and  of  the  deriva- 
tive faith,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  before  (n.  96, 
97).  Among  the  most  ancient  people,  life  was  signified  by 
the  "breath  in  the  nostrils,"  or  by  "breathing,"  which  is 
the  life  of  the  body  corresponding  to  spiritual  things,  as  the 
motion  of  the  heart  is  the  life  of  the  body  corresponding  to 
celestial  things.  [2]  It  is  here  said,  "  in  whose  nostrils  was 
the  breathing  of  the  breath  of  lives,"  because  the  antedilu- 
vians are  treated  of,  in  whom  by  inheritance  from  their  pro- 
genitors there  was  seed  from  the  celestial,  but  extinct  or  suffo- 
cated. There  is  also  a  deeper  meaning  that  lies  hidden  in 
these  words,  of  which  we  have  already  spoken  (n.  97),  namely, 
that  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  had  internal  respira- 
tion, and  thus  respiration  concordant  with  and  similar  to  that 
of  angels,  concerning  which,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  here- 
after. This  respiration  was  varied  in  accordance  with  all  the 
states  of  the  internal  man.  But  in  process  of  time  it  was 
changed  in  their  posterity,  until  this  last  generation,  wherein 
all  that  was  angelic  perished.  Then  they  could  no  longer  re- 
spire with  the  angelic  heaven.  This  was  the  real  cause  of 
their  extinction ;  and  therefore  it  is  now  said  that  they  "  ex- 
pired," and  that  they  in  whose  nostrils  was  the  breathing  of 
the  breath  of  lives,  "died."  [3]  After  these  times  internal 
respiration  ceased,  and  with  it  communication  with  heaven 
and  thereby  celestial  perception,  and  external  respiration  suc- 
ceeded. And  because  communication  with  heaven  thus  ceased, 
the  men  of  the  Ancient  (or  new)  Church  could  no  longer  be 
celestial  men  like  the  Most  Ancient,  but  were  spiritual.  But 
concerning  these  things,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 
806.  Of  all  that  was  in  the  dry  [land~\.  That  this  signifies 
those  in  whom  there  was  no  longer  such  life,  and  that  their 
"  dying"  signifies  that  they  expired,  now  follows  from  what 
has  been  shown.  And  because  all  the  life  of  love  and  faith 
was  extinguished,  it  is  here  said  the  "dry  [land]."  "Dry 
[land]"  is  where  there  is  no  water,  that  is,  where  there  is  no 
longer  anything  spiritual,  still  less  celestial.  A  persuasion  of 
falsity  extinguishes  and  as  it  were  suffocates  everything  spirit- 
ual and  celestial ;  as  every  one  may  know  from  much  experience, 


374  GENESIS  [N.  806 

if  he  pays  attention.  They  who  have  once  conceived  opinions, 
though  most  false,  cling  to  them  so  obstinately  that  they  are 
not  even  willing  to  hear  anything  that  is  contrary  to  them ;  so 
that  they  never  suffer  themselves  to  be  informed,  even  if  the 
truth  be  placed  before  their  eyes.  Still  more  is  this  the  case 
when  they  worship  the  false  opinion  from  a  notion  of  its 
sanctity.  Such  are  they  who  spurn  every  truth,  and  that 
which  they  admit  they  pervert,  and  thus  immerse  in  phantasies. 
It  is  they  who  are  signified  here  by  the  "  dry  [land],"  wherein 
there  is  no  water  and  no  grass.  So  in  Ezekiel : — 

I  will  make  the  rivers  dry,  and  will  sell  the  land  into  the  hand  of  evil 
men ;  and  I  will  make  the  land  desolate,  and  the  fullness  thereof  (xxx.  12). 

To  "make  the  rivers  dry,"  signifies  that  there  is  no  longer 
anything  spiritual.  And  in  Jeremiah : — 

Your  land  is  become  dry  [land]  (xliv.  22). 

"Dry  [land]"  here  denotes  land  that  is  desolated  and  laid 
waste,  so  that  there  is  no  longer  anything  of  truth  and  good. 

807.  Verse  23.  And  He  destroyed  every  substance  that  was 
upon  the  faces  of  the  ground,  from  man  even  to  beast,  even  to 
creeping  thing,  and  even  to  the  fowl  of  the  heavens  ;  and  they 
were  destroyed  from  the  earth  ;    and  Noah  only  was  left,  and 
that  which  was  with  him  in  the  ark.      "And  He  destroyed 
every  substance,"  signifies  cupidities  which  are  of  the  love  of 
self ;  "  that  was  upon  the  faces  of  the  ground,"  signifies  the 
posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church ;   "  from  man  even  to 
beast,  even  to  creeping  thing,  and  even  to  the  fowl  of  the 
heavens,"    signifies    the   nature    of   their    evil ;    "  man"    that 
nature  itself,  "  beast"  cupidities,  "  creeping  thing"  pleasures, 
"fowl  of  the  heavens"  falsities  therefrom;  "and  they  were 
destroyed  from  the  earth,"  is  the  conclusion — that  the  Most 
Ancient  Church  expired.    "  Noah  only  was  left,  and  that  which 
was  with  him  in  the  ark/'  signifies  that  they  who  constituted 
the  new  church  were  preserved;  "that  which  was  with  him 
in  the  ark,"  signifies  all  things  that  were  of  the  new  church. 

808.  And  he  destroyed  every  substance.     That  this  signifies 
cupidities  which  are  of  the  love  of  self,  is  evident  from  what 
follows,  where  they  are  described  by  representatives.     "  Sub- 
stance" is  predicated  of  the  things  of  the  will,  because  from 


N.  808]  CHAPTER   VH.  VER.  23  375 

the  will  all  things  with  man  arise,  that  is,  come  into  existence 
and  subsist.  The  will  is  the  very  substance  of  man,  or  the 
man  himself.  The  cupidities  of  the  antediluvians  were  of  the 
love  of  self.  There  are  two  most  universal  kinds  of  cupidi- 
ties :  one  kind  belongs  to  the  love  of  self,  the  other  to  the  love 
of  the  world.  A  man  desires  nothing  else  than  what  he  loves, 
and  therefore  cupidities  belong  to  his  love.  With  these  men 
the  love  of  self  reigned,  and  consequently  its  cupidities.  For 
they  so  loved  themselves  that  they  believed  themselves  to  be 
gods,  not  acknowledging  any  God  above  themselves;  and  of 
this  they  persuaded  themselves. 

809.  That  was  upon  the  faces  of  the  ground.     That  this  sig- 
nifies the  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  is  evident 
from  the  signification  of  "  ground"  (of  which  before)  as  being 
the  church,  and  therefore  what  is  of  the  church.     Here,  as 
"  every  substance  that  was  upon  the  faces  of  the  ground"  is 
said  to  be  "  destroyed,"  the  meaning  is  that  they  who  were  of 
the  Most  Ancient  Church,  and  were  of  such  a  character,  were 
destroyed.     Here  it  is  said  "  ground,"  though  in  the  twenty- 
first  verse  it  is  said  "  earth,"  for  the  reason  that  the  church  is 
never  predicated  of  things  of  the  understanding,  but  of  things 
of  the  will.     Religious  knowledge  and  its  attendant  rational 
convictions  (sclentificum  et  rationale  fidei)  by  no  means  consti- 
tute the  church  or  man  of  the  church,  but  charity,  which  is  of 
the  will.     All  that  is  essential  comes  from  the  will ;  and  con- 
sequently neither  does  what  is  doctrinal  make  the  church, 
unless  both  in  general  and  in  particular  it  looks  to  charity,  for 
then  charity  becomes  the  end.     From  the  end  it  is  evident 
what  kind  of  doctrine  it  is,  and  whether  it  is  of  the  church  or 
not.     The  church  of  the  Lord,  like  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord 
in  the  heavens,  consists  of  nothing  but  love  and  charity. 

810.  Both  man  and  beast,  and  creeping  thing,  and  fowl  of  the 
heavens.     That  these  words  signify  the  nature  of  their  evil; 
"  man,"    that  nature  itself ;    "  beast,"    cupidities ;    "  creeping 
thing,"  pleasures ;  and  "  fowl  of  the  heavens,"  falsities  thence 
derived,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  all  these  things  as 
given  above,  wherefore  there  is  no  need  to  dwell  upon  them. 

811.  And  they  were  destroyed  from  the  earth.     That  this  is 
the  conclusion,  namely,  that  the  Most  Ancient  Church  expired ; 


376  GENESIS  [N.  811 

and  that  by  "Noah  only  was  left,  and  that  which  was  with 
him  in  the  ark,"  is  signified  that  they  were  preserved  who  con- 
stituted the  new  church ;  and  that  by  "  that  which  was  with 
him  in  the  ark/'  are  signified  all  things  that  were  of  the  new 
church,  needs  no  further  explication,  being  self-evident. 

812.  Verse  24.  And  the  waters  were  strengthened  upon  the 
earth  a  hundred  and  fifty  days.     This  signifies  the  last  limit 
of  the  Most  Ancient  Church ;  "  a  hundred  and  fifty"  is  the  last 
limit,  and  the  first. 

813.  That  this  signifies  the  last  limit  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church,  and  that  "  a  hundred  and  fifty"  is  the  last  limit,  and 
the  first,  cannot  indeed  be  so  well  confirmed  from  the  Word  as 
can  the  more  simple  numbers,  which  are  frequently  occurring. 
And  yet  it  is  evident  from  the  mention  of  the  number  "  fif- 
teen" (concerning  which  above  at  verse  20),  which  signifies  so 
few  as  to  be  scarcely  any ;  and  this  is  still  more  the  case  with 
the  number  a  "  hundred  and  fifty,"  composed  of  fifteen  mul- 
tiplied by  ten,  which  last  signifies  remains.     The  multiplica- 
tion of  a  few  (like  the  multiplication  of  a  half,  a  fourth,  or  a 
tenth),  makes  it  still  less,  so  that  at  length  it  becomes  almost 
none,  consequently  the  end  or  last  limit.     The  same  number 
occurs  in  the  following  chapter  (viii.  verse  3),  where  it  is  said : 
"  the  waters  receded  at  the  end  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  days," 
with  the  same  signification.     [2]   The  numbers  mentioned  in 
the  Word  are  to  be  understood  in  a  sense  entirely  abstracted 
from  that  of   the  letter.     They  are  introduced  (as  has  been 
said  and  shown  before)  merely  to  connect  together  the  historic 
series  that  is  in  the  sense  of  the  letter.     Thus  where  "  seven" 
occurs,  it  signifies  what  is  holy,  entirely  apart  from  the  times 
and  measures  with  which  the  number  is  commonly  joined.    For 
the  angels,  who  perceive  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word,  know 
nothing  of  time  and  measure,  still  less  of  the  number  desig- 
nated ;  and  yet  they  understand  the  Word  fully,  when  it  is 
being  read  by  man.     When  therefore  a  number  anywhere  oc- 
curs, they  can  have  no  idea  of  any  number,  but  of  the  thing 
signified  by  the  number.    So  here  by  this  number  they  under- 
stand that  it  denotes  the  last  limit  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church ; 
and  in  the  following  chapter  (verse  3),  that  it  denotes  the  first 
limit  of  the  Ancient  or  new  Church. 


N.  814]  HELL  377 


CONTINUATION   CONCERNING   THE    HELLS. 

HERE,  CONCERNING    THE    HELLS    OF    THOSE    WHO    HAVE    PASSED 
THEIR    LIFE    IN    HATREDS,    REVENGES,    AND    CRUELTIES. 

814.  Such  spirits  as  cherish  deadly  hatred,  and  hence  breathe 
out  vengeance  and  nothing  less  than  death  to  another,  knowing 
no  rest  till  then,  are  kept  in  the  deepest  cadaverous  hell,  where 
there  is  a  noisome  stench  as  of  carcasses ;  and,  wonderful  to 
say,  such  spirits  are  so  delighted  with  the  stench  there  that 
they  prefer  it  to  the  most  pleasing  odors.  Such  is  their  dread- 
ful nature,  and  their  consequent  phantasy.  A  like  stench 
actually  exhales  from  that  hell.  When  the  hell  is  opened 
(which  occurs  rarely,  and  then  only  for  a  short  time),  so  great 
a  stench  pours  forth  from  it  that  spirits  cannot  remain  in  the 
neighborhood.  Certain  genii,  or  rather  furies,  who  were  sent 
forth  thence  in  order  that  I  might  know  their  quality,  infected 
the  sphere  with  such  poisonous  and  pestilent  breath  that  the 
spirits  about  me  could  not  stay ;  and  at  the  same  time  it  so 
affected  my  stomach  that  I  vomited.  They  manifested  them- 
selves \inder  the  appearance  of  a  little  child,  of  not  uncomely 
face,  with  a  concealed  dagger,  whom  they  sent  to  me,  bearing 
a  cup  in  his  hand.  From  this  it  was  given  me  to  know  that 
they  had  a  mind  to  murder,  either  with  the  dagger  or  with 
poison,  under  a  show  of  innocence.  Yet  they  themselves  had 
naked  bodies,  and  were  very  black.  But  presently  they  were 
sent  back  into  their  cadaverous  hell,  and  it  was  then  given  me 
to  observe  how  they  sank  down.  They  went  on  to  the  left,  in 
the  plane  of  the  left  temple,  and  to  a  great  distance,  without 
descending,  and  afterwards  sank  down ;  first  into  what  appeared 
as  a  fire,  then  into  a  fiery  smoke  as  of  a  furnace,  and  then  under 
that  furnace,  toward  the  front,  where  were  many  most  gloomy 
caverns  tending  downward.  On  the  way  they  were  continually 
revolving  and  intending  evils,  and  chiefly  against  the  innocent, 
without  cause.  When  they  sank  down  through  the  fire  they 
greatly  lamented.  That  they  may  be  well  distinguished  as  to 
whence  and  what  they  are,  when  they  are  sent  out  they  have 
a  kind  of  ring  to  which  are  affixed  points  as  of  brass,  which 


378  GENESIS  [N.  814 

they  press  with  the  hands  and  twist  about.    This  is  a  sign  that 
they  are  of  this  nature,  and  are  bound. 

815.  They  who  so  delight  in  hatred  and  the  consequent  re- 
venge that  they  are  not  content  to  kill  the  body  only,  but 
desire  to  destroy  the  soul,  which  yet  the  Lord  has  redeemed, 
are  sent  down  through  a  very  dark  opening  toward  the  lowest 
parts  of  the  earth,  to  a  depth  proportionate  to  the  degree  of 
their  hatred  and  vindictiveness ;   and  there  they  are  struck 
with  grievous  terror  and  horror,  and  at  the  same  time  are  kept 
in  the  lust  for  revenge ;  and  as  this  increases  they  are  sent 
down  to  lower  depths.     Afterwards  they  are  sent  into  a  place 
beneath  Gehenna,  where  great  and  dreadful  thick-bellied  ser- 
pents appear  (so  vividly  that  it  is  just  as  if  they  were  real), 
by  whose  bites  they  are  tormented,  feeling  them  acutely.    Such 
things  are  keenly  felt  by  spirits,  answering  to  their  life  just 
as  things  of  the  body  do  to  the  life  of  those  who  are  in  the 
body.      Meanwhile  they  live  in  direful   phantasies  for  ages, 
until  they  no  longer  know  that  they  have  been  men.     Their 
life,  which  they  have  derived  from  such  hatreds  and  revenges, 
cannot  otherwise  be  extinguished. 

816.  As  there  are  innumerable  genera  of  hatreds  and  re- 
venges, and  species  still  more  innumerable,  and  one  genus  has 
not  the  same  hell  as  another,  and  as  it  is  therefore  impossible 
to  recount  them  singly  in  their  order,  I  may  refer  to  what  have 
been  seen.      One  came  to  me  who  appeared  to  be  a  noble. 
(Those  who  appeared  to  me  were  seen  as  in  clear  daylight,  and 
even  more  clearly,  but  by  my  internal  sight ;  for  of  the  Lord's 
Divine  mercy  it  has  been  given  me  to  be  in  company  with 
spirits.)     At  his  first  approach  he  pretended  by  signs  that  he 
had  much  he  wished  to  communicate  to  me,  asking  whether  I 
was  a  Christian  ;  to  which  I  replied  that  I  was.    He  said  that 
he  was  too,  and  asked  that  he  might  be  alone  with  me,  to  tell 
me  something  that  others  might  not  hear.     But  I  answered 
that  in  the  other  life  people  cannot  be  alone,  as  men  think 
they  are  on  earth,  and  that  many  spirits  were  present.     He 
now  came  nearer  and  approached  stealthily  behind  me  to  the 
back  of  my  head,  and  then  I  perceived  that  he  was  an  assassin. 
While  he  was  there  I  felt  as  it  were  a  stab  through  the  heart, 
and  presently  in  the  brain — such  a  blow  as  might  easily  be  the 


N.  816]  HELL  379 

death  of  a  man.  But  as  I  was  protected  by  the  Lord,  I  feared 
nothing.  What  device  he  used  I  do  not  know.  Thinking  me 
dead,  he  told  others  that  he  had  just  come  from  a  man  whom 
he  had  killed  in  that  way,  and  by  a  deadly  stroke  from  behind, 
saying  that  he  was  so  skillful  in  the  art  that  a  man  would  not 
know  until  he  fell  down  dead,  and  it  would  not  be  doubted 
that  he  himself  was  innocent.  It  was  given  me  to  know  from 
this  that  he  had  but  lately  departed  from  life,  where  he  had 
committed  such  a  deed.  The  punishment  of  such  is  dreadful. 
After  they  have  suffered  infernal  torments  for  ages,  they  at 
length  come  to  have  a  detestable  and  most  monstrous  face — 
such  as  is  not  a  face,  but  a  ghastly  thing  as  of  tow.  Thus 
they  put  off  everything  human,  and  then  every  one  shudders 
at  the  sight  of  them,  and  so  they  wander  about  like  wild 
beasts,  in  dark  places. 

817.  There  came  one  to  me  out  of  an  infernal  apartment 
at  the  left  side  and  spoke  with  me.     It  was  given  me  to  per- 
ceive that  he  was  of  a  villainous  crew.     What  he  had  done  in 
the  world  was  disclosed  in  the  following  manner.     He  was 
sent  down  somewhat  deep  into  the  lower  earth,  in  front,  a 
little  to  the  left,  and  there  he  began  to  dig  a  grave,  as  is  done 
for  the  dead  who  are  to  be  buried.     From  this  arose  a  sus- 
picion that  in  the  life  of  the  body  he  had  perpetrated  some 
deadly  deed.    Then  there  appeared  a  funeral  bier  covered  with 
a  black  cloth.     Presently  one  rising  from  the  bier  came  to  me, 
and  in  a  devout  manner  related  that  he  had  died,  and  that  he 
believed  he  had  been  killed  by  that  man  with  poison,  and  that 
he  had  thought  so  at  the  hour  of  his  death,  but  did  not  know 
whether  it  was  more  than  a  suspicion.     When  the  infamous 
spirit  heard  this,  he  confessed  that  he  had  committed  such  a 
deed.     After  the  confession,  punishment  followed.      He  was 
twice  rolled  about  in  the  dark  hole  he  had  dug,  and  became  as 
black  as  an  Egyptian  mummy,  both  face  and  body,  and  in  that 
state  was  taken  up  on  high  and  carried  about  before  spirits 
and  angels,  and  the  cry  was  heard :    What  a  devil !     He  also 
became  cold,  thus  one  of  the  cold  infernals,  and  was  sent  down 
into  hell. 

818.  There  is  a  dreadful  hell  beneath  the  buttocks,  where 
chey  seem  to  stab  one  another  with  knives,  aiming  the  knives 


380  GENESIS  [N.  818 

at  one  another's  breasts  like  furies ;  but  in  the  act  of  striking 
the  knife  is  continually  taken  away  from  them.  They  are 
those  who  have  held  others  in  such  hatred  that  they  burned 
to  kill  them  cruelly ;  and  from  this  they  had  derived  a  nature 
so  direful.  This  hell  was  opened  to  me  (but  only  a  little  on 
account  of  their  direful  cruelties),  so  that  I  might  see  the 
nature  of  deadly  hatred. 

819.  There  is  at  the  left,  in  a  plane  with  the  lower  parts  of 
the  body,  a  kind  of  stagnant  lake,  large,  and  of  greater  length 
than  breadth.  About  its  bank  in  front  there  appear  to  those 
who  are  there  monstrous  serpents,  such  as  inhabit  stagnant 
waters,  with  pestilent  breath.  Farther  away,  on  the  left  bank, 
appear  those  who  eat  human  flesh,  and  devour  one  another, 
fastening  with  their  teeth  on  one  another's  shoulders.  Still 
farther  away  to  the  left  appear  great  fishes,  enormous  whales, 
which  swallow  a  man  and  vomit  him  out  again.  In  the 
farthest  distance,  or  on  the  opposite  shore,  appear  very  ugly 
faces,  too  monstrous  to  be  described,  chiefly  those  of  old 
women,  who  run  about  as  if  frenzied.  On  the  right  bank  are 
those  who  are  trying  to  butcher  each  other  with  cruel  instru- 
ments, which  vary  in  accordance  with  the  direful  feelings  of 
their  hearts.  In  the  middle  of  the  lake  it  is  everywhere  black, 
as  if  stagnant.  Sometimes  I  have  been  surprised  to  see  spirits 
brought  to  this  lake,  but  was  informed  by  some  who  came  from 
it  and  told  me,  that  they  were  those  who  had  cherished  intes- 
tine hatred  against  the  neighbor ;  and  that  their  hatred  burst 
forth  as  often  as  occasion  offered,  in  which  they  perceived  their 
greatest  delight ;  and  that  nothing  had  pleased  them  more  than 
to  bring  a  neighbor  to  judgment  and  cause  punishment  to  be 
inflicted  on  him,  and,  if  the  penalties  of  the  law  had  not  de- 
terred them,  to  put  him  to  death.  Into  such  things  (as  de- 
scribed above)  are  the  hatreds  and  cruelties  of  men  turned 
after  the  life  of  the  body.  The  phantasies  to  which  their 
hatreds  and  cruelties  give  rise  have  to  them  the  reality  of  life. 

820.  In  the  other  life  those  who  have  practised  robbery  and 
piracy  love  rank  and  fetid  urine  above  all  other  liquids,  and 
seem  to  themselves  to  dwell  among  such  things,  and  among 
stagnant  and  stinking  pools.  A  certain  robber  approached  me, 
gnashing  his  teeth,  the  sound  of  which  was  as  plainly  heard  as 


N.  820]  HELL  381 

if  it  had  proceeded  from  a  man,  which  was  strange,  since  they 
have  no  teeth.  He  confessed  that  he  would  rather  live  in 
urinous  filth  than  by  the  clearest  waters,  and  that  the  smell 
of  urine  was  what  he  delighted  in.  He  said  he  would  rather 
stay  and  have  his  home  in  urinous  vats  than  anywhere  else. 

821.  There  are  those  who  outwardly  present  an  honorable 
face  and  life,  so  that  no  one  could  suspect  them  of  being  other 
than  honorable,  studying  in  every  way  to  appear  so,  for  the 
sake  of  being  raised  to  honors,  and  of  acquiring  wealth  without 
the  loss  of  reputation.    They  therefore  do  not  act  openly ;  but 
through  others  by  deceitful  artifices  they  deprive  men  of  their 
goods,  caring  nothing  if  the  families  they  despoil  perish  of 
hunger ;  and  they  would  themselves  be  personal  agents  in  thisi 
villainy,  without  any  conscience,  if  they  could  escape  public 
notice,  so  that  they  really  are  of  the  same  character  as  if  they 
perpetrated  it  by  their  own  act.    They  are  hidden  robbers,  and 
the  kind  of  hatred  peculiar  to  them  is  joined  with  scornful 
contempt  for  others,  greed  of  gain,  unmercifulness,  and  deceit. 
In  the  other  life  such  men  desire  to  be  esteemed  blameless, 
saying  that  they  have  done  nothing  wrong,  because  it  was  not 
detected.    And  to  show  themselves  guiltless,  they  put  off  their 
garments  and  present  themselves  naked — in  this  way  attesting 
their  innocence.     Yet  while  they  are  being  examined  their 
quality  is  thoroughly  well  perceived  from  every  single  word 
and  every  single  idea  of  their  thought,  without  their  being 
aware  of  it.     Such,  in  the  other  life,  desire  without  any  con- 
science to  murder  whatever  companions  they  fall  in  Avith. 
They  have  also  an  axe  with  them,  and  a  maul  in  their  hand, 
and  seem  to  have  another  spirit  with  them  whom  they  strike, 
when  on  his  back ;  but  not  to  the  shedding  of  blood,  for  they 
are  afraid  of  death.     And  they  cannot  cast  these  weapons  out 
of  their  hands  although  they  strive  to  do  so  with  all  their 
might,  in  order  to  prevent  the  actual  ferocity  of  their  disposi- 
tion from  appearing  before  the  eyes  of  spirits  and  angels. 
They  are  at  a  middle  distance  under  the  feet,  toward  the  front. 

822.  There  is  a  kind  of  hatred  against  the  neighbor,  which 
finds  its  delight  in  injuring  and  harassing  every  one ;  and  the 
more  mischief  they  can  do  the  more  delighted  they  are.    There 
are  very  many  such  from  the  lowest  of  the  common  people. 


382  GENESIS  'LN.  822 

And  there  are  those  not  of  the  common  people  who  have  a 
similar  disposition,  but  outwardly  are  of  better  manners,  from 
having  been  brought  up  in  good  society,  and  also  from  fear  of 
legal  penalties.  After  death,  the  upper  part  of  the  body  of 
these  spirits  appears  naked,  and  their  hair  dishevelled.  They 
annoy  one  another  by  rushing  forward  and  placing  the  palms  of 
their  hands  on  each  other's  shoulders,  and  they  then  leap  over 
their  heads,  and  soon  come  back  and  make  a  severe  attack  with 
their  fists.  Those  of  whom  it  was  said  that  they  have  better 
manners  act  in  a  similar  way,  but  first  exchange  greetings,  then 
go  round  behind  their  neighbor's  back,  and  so  attack  with  the 
fist ;  but  when  they  see  each  other  face  to  face  they  make  a 
•salutation,  and  again  go  round  behind  his  back  and  strike  him 
with  the  fist.  In  this  way  they  keep  up  appearances.  These 
appear  at  some  distance  toward  the  left  side,  at  a  middle  height. 
823.  Whatever  a  man  has  done  in  the  life  of  the  body  suc- 
cessively returns  in  the  other  life,  and  so  does  all  that  he  has 
even  thought.  When  his  enmities,  hatreds,  and  deceits  return, 
the  persons  against  whom  he  has  indulged  hatred  and  has  clan- 
destinely plotted  are  made  present  to  him,  and  this  in  a  mo- 
ment. Such  is  the  case  in  the  other  life ;  but  concerning 
this  presence,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter.  The 
thoughts  a  man  has  harbored  against  others  make  their  appear- 
ance openly,  for  there  is  a  perception  of  all  thoughts.  Hence 
come  lamentable  states,  for  there  concealed  hatreds  break  out 
openly.  With  the  evil  all  their  evil  deeds  and  thoughts  thus 
return,  to  the  life ;  but  it  is  not  so  with  the  good.  With  these 
all  their  good  states  of  friendship  and  love  return,  attended 
with  the  highest  delight  and  happiness. 


N  824]  HELL  383 

CHAPTER   THE   EIGHTH. 
CONTINUATION   CONCERNING   THE    HELLS. 

HEBE  CONCERNING  THE  HELLS  OF  THOSE  WHO  HAVE  PASSED 
THEIR  LIVES  IN  ADULTERIES  AND  LASCIVIOUSNESS.  ALSO 
CONCERNING  THE  HELLS  OF  THE  DECEITFUL,  AND  OF  SOR- 
GERES  SES« 

824.  Beneath  the  heel  of  the  right  foot  *  is  a  hell  inhabited 
by  those  who  have  delighted  in  cruelty  and  at  the  same  time 
in  adulteries,  and  have  felt  in  them  the  greatest  delight  of  their 
lives.  It  is  remarkable  that  those  who  have  been  cruel  in  the 
life  of  the  body  have  been  also,  more  than  others,  adulterers. 
Such  are  those  who  are  in  this  hell,  where  they  practise  un- 
speakable methods  of  cruelty.  By  their  phantasies  they  make 
themselves  vessels  as  for  braying,  like  those  used  for  braying 
herbs,  aid  pestles,  wherewith  they  bray  f  and  torture  whom- 
soever tliey  can ;  and  also  as  it  were  broad  axes,  like  those  of 
executioners ;  and  augers,  with  which  they  do  cruel  violence 
to  one  another;  not  to  mention  other  direful  cruelties.  Some 
of  the  Jews  are  there  who  in  former  times  so  cruelly  treated 
the  Gentiles.  And  at  this  day  that  hell  is  increasing,  especially 
from  those  who  come  from  the  so-called  Christian  world  and 
have  had  all  the  delight  of  their  life  in  adulteries,  who  also 
are  for  the  most  part  cruel.  Sometimes  their  delight  is  turned 
into  the  stench  of  human  excrement,  which  exhales  excessively 
when  that  hell  is  opened.  I  perceived  it  in  the  world  of  spirits, 
and  at  the  time  almost  fell  into  a  swoon  from  the  effect  of  it. 
This  noisome,  excrementitious  smell  by  turns  fills  the  hell,  and 
by  turns  ceases ;  for  it  is  their  delight  from  adulteries  which 
is  turned  into  such  offensiveness.  In  process  of  time,  when 
they  have  passed  through  a  given  period  in  such  things,  they 
are  left  alone  and  sit  in  torment,  becoming  like  unsightly 
skeletons,  but  still  living. 

*  The  author  speaks  of  places  in  the  spiritual  world  as  being  situated  in  accord- 
Mice  with  their  correspondence  to  the  human  body.     [REVISER.] 
t  See  Prov.  xxvii.  22 ;  2  Sam.  xii.  31 ;  and  Spiritual  Diary  2639. 


384  GENESIS  [N.  825 

825.  In  the  plane  of  the  soles  of  the  feet,  at  a  considerable 
distance  in  front,  there  is  a  hell  which  is  called  Gehenna, 
where  are  shameless  women  who  have  placed  all  their  delight 
in  adulteries,  and  have  regarded  adulteries  as  not  only  per- 
missible but  honorable,  and  who  under  various  pretenses  of 
honorableness  have  allured  the  guileless  and  innocent  to  such 
things.    A  kind  of  fiery  glow  appears  there,  such  as  overcasts 
the  sky  from  a  great  conflagration ;  and  it  is  attended  with 
fiery  heat,  as  it  was  given  me  to  feel  by  the  warmth  from  it 
on  my  face ;  and  there  is  a  stench  exhaled  therefrom,  as  from 
burning  bones  and  hair.     Sometimes  this  hell  is  changed  into 
direful  serpents,  which  bite  them;   and  then  they  long  for 
death,  but  cannot  die.      Certain  women  released  therefrom 
came  to  me  and  said  there  was  a  fiery  heat  there ;   but  that 
when  they  are  allowed  to  draw  near  to  any  society  of  good 
spirits  the  heat  is  changed  to  intense  cold ;  and  then  burning 
heat  ana  cold  alternate  with  them,  from  one  extreme  to  the 
other,  by  which  they  are  miserably  tormented.     But  yet  they 
have  their  intervals  during  which  they  are  in  the  heat  of  their 
fiery  lust.     But,  as  was  said,  their  states  vary. 

826.  There  were  some,  of  both  sexes,  from   the  so-called 
Christian  world,  who  in  their  life  of  the  body  had  believed 
adulteries  to  be  not  only  lawful  but  even  holy,  and  so  held 
communist  marriages,  as  they  impiously  call  them,  under  a 
show  of  sanctity.     I  saw  that  they  were  sent  into  Gehenna ; 
but  when  they  came  there  a  change  took  place ;  the  fieriness 
of  Gehenna,  which  is  ruddy,  at  their  coming  became  whiter ; 
and  it  was  perceived  that  they  could  not  agree  together.    This 
execrable  troop  was  therefore  separated  and  driven  away  into 
a  region  behind  (into  another  world,  it  was  said),  where  they 
would  be  immersed  in  stagnant  pools,  and  from  there  would 
be  conveyed  into  a  new  Gehenna  appointed  for  them.     There 
was  heard  in  Gehenna  a  kind  of  hissing  that  cannot  be  de- 
scribed; but  the  hiss  or  buzz  of  Gehenna  was  grosser  than 
that  of  those  who  had  defiled  holiness  by  their  adulteries. 

827.  Those  who  ensnare  by  pretended  regard  for  conjugial 
love  and  love  for  children,  so  deporting  themselves  that  the 
husband  shall  have  no  suspicion  but  that  his  guests  are  chaste, 
guileless,  and  friendly,  and  under  such  and  various  other  pre- 


N.  827]  HELL  385 

tenses  the  more  safely  commit  adultery,  are  in  a  hell  under 
the  buttocks,  in  the  filthiest  excrement;  and  are  vastated 
until  they  become  as  bones,  because  they  rank  with  the  de- 
ceitful. Such  do  not  even  know  what  conscience  is.  I  have 
talked  with  them,  and  they  were  surprised  that  any  one  should 
have  conscience  and  should  say  that  adulteries  are  contrary  to 
conscience.  They  were  told  that  it  is  as  impossible  for  such  con- 
scienceless adulterers  to  come  into  heaven  as  it  is  for  fishes  to 
rise  into  the  air,  or  birds  into  the  ether,  because  if  they  but 
approach  they  have  a  feeling  of  suffocation,  and  their  delight 
is  turned  into  a  noisome  stench ;  and  that  they  cannot  but  be 
thrust  down  into  hell,  and  become  at  last  as  of  bone,  with  little 
life,  because  they  have  acquired  to  themselves  a  life  of  such  a 
character  that  when  they  lose  it,  very  little  of  truly  human 
life  remains. 

828.  They  who  are  possessed  with  the  lust  of  defloration, 
and  who  find  their  greatest  delight  in  virginities  and  the  theft 
of  them,  without  any  purpose  of  marriage  and  offspring,  and 
who  when  they  have  robbed  virginity  of  its  flower,  afterwards 
forsake,  loathe,  and  prostitute  their  victims,  suffer  the  most 
grievous  punishment  in  the  other  life,  because  such  a  life  is 
contrary  to  order — natural,  spiritual,  and  celestial ;  and  be- 
cause it  is  not  only  contrary  to  conjugial  love,  which  is  held  in 
heaven  to  be  most  holy,  but  is  also  contrary  to  innocence,  which 
they  violate  and  kill  by  enticing  the  innocent,  who  might  other- 
wise be  imbued  with  conjugial  love,  into  a  meretricious  life ; 
for  it  is  the  first  flower  of  love  which  introduces  virgins  into 
chaste  conjugial  love,  and  conjoins  the  minds  of  a  married 
pair.  And  because  the  holiness  of  heaven  is  founded  in  con- 
jugial love  and  in  innocence,  and  such  men  are  therefore  in- 
terior murderers,  they  seem  to  themselves  to  be  sitting  upon  a 
furious  horse,  which  tosses  them  up  so  that  they  are  thrown 
from  the  horse,  to  the  peril  of  their  life  as  it  seems — such 
terror  seizes  them.  Afterwards  they  appear  to  themselves  to 
be  under  the  belly  of  the  furious  horse,  and  presently  seem 
to  themselves  to  go  through  the  hinder  part  of  the  horse  into 
his  belly ;  and  then  suddenly  it  appears  to  them  as  if  they 
were  in  the  belly  of  a  filthy  harlot,  which  harlot  is  changed 
into  a  great  dragon,  and  there  they  remain  wrapped  in  tor- 
VOL.  I.— 25 


386  GENESIS  [N.  828 

merit.  This  punishment  returns  many  times  during  hundreds 
and  thousands  of  years,  until  they  are  imbued  with  a  horror 
of  such  desires.  Respecting  their  offspring  I  have  been  told 
that  they  are  worse  than  other  children,  because  they  derive 
from  the  father  something  of  a  like  heredity ;  and  therefore 
children  are  rarely  born  from  such  intercourse,  and  those  that 
are  born  do  not  remain  long  in  this  life. 

829.  They  who  in  the  life  of  the  body  think  lasciviously, 
and  give  a  lascivious  turn  to  whatever  others  say,  even  to  holy 
things,  and  this  even  in  adult  and  old  age  when  nothing  of 
natural  lasciviousness  incites,  do  not  desist  or  think  and  speak 
differently  in  the  other  life ;  and  as  there  their  thoughts  are 
communicated,  and  sometimes  come  forth  into  obscene  repre- 
sentations before  other  spirits,  they  give  offense.  Their  pun- 
ishment is,  that  in  the  presence  of  the  spirit?  whom  they  have 
offended  they  are  thrown  prostrate  and  rapiuly  rolled  over  and 
over  like  a  roller  from  left  to  right,  and  then  transversely  in 
another  position,  and  so  in  another — naked  before  all,  or  half 
naked,  according  to  the  nature  of  their  lasciviousness,  and  at 
the  same  time  they  are  inspired  with  shame.  Then  they  are 
whirled  about  by  the  head  and  feet,  horizontally,  as  upon  an 
axis.  Resistance  is  induced,  and  at  the  same  time  pain ;  for 
there  are  two  forces  acting,  one  whirling  around,  the  other 
backward,  so  that  the  punishment  is  attended  with  the  pain 
of  being  torn  asunder.  After  undergoing  these  penalties,  an 
opportunity  is  afforded  the  miserable  sufferer  of  withdrawing 
himself  from  the  sight  of  other  spirits,  and  a  sense  of  shame 
is  instilled  into  him.  Yet  there  are  those  who  try  him  to  see 
whether  he  still  persists  in  such  things ;  but  so  long  as  he  is 
in  a  state  of  shame  and  distress  he  is  on  his  guard.  Thus  he 
seems  to  himself  to  be  hidden,  although  they  know  where  he 
is.  This  punishment  appeared  in  front,  at  some  distance. 

There  are  also  boys,  youths,  and  young  men  who  from  the 
madness  and  hot  desire  of  their  age  have  conceived  abominable 
principles  :  as  that  wives,  especially  those  that  are  young  and 
beautiful,  ought  not  to  be  for  a  husband,  but  for  themselves 
and  their  like,  the  husband  remaining  only  head  of  the  house- 
hold and  educator  of  the  children.  These  are  distinguished 
in  the  othei  life  ^y  the  boyish  sound  of  their  speech.  They 


N.  829]  HELL  387 

are  behind  at  some  height  there.  Those  of  them  who  have 
confirmed  themselves  in  such  principles,  and  in  actual  life 
conformable  thereto,  are  grievously  punished  in  the  other  life, 
by  having  their  joints  put  out  of  place  and  back  again,  or 
twisted  one  way  and  the  other,  by  spirits  who  can  by  their  art 
induce  upon  them  the  phantasy  of  being  in  the  body,  and  at 
the  same  time  make  them  feel  bodily  pain.  By  these  violent 
alternations,  together  with  their  struggles  in  resistance,  they 
are  so  rent  that  they  seem  to  themselves  as  if  dismembered 
and  torn  to  bits,  with  frightful  pain ;  and  this  time  after  time, 
until  being  struck  with  horror  at  such  principles  of  life  they 
cease  to  think  in  that  way. 

830.  They  who  beguile  men  by  subtle  deceit,  wearing  a 
pleasant  face  and  manner  of  speech,  but  concealing  envenomed 
guile  within,  and  thus  captivating  men  for  the  purpose  of 
ruining  them,  are  in  a  hell  more  dreadful  than  the  hells  of 
others,  even  more  dreadful  than  the  hell  of  murderers.  They 
seem  to  themselves  to  live  among  serpents ;  and  the  more  per- 
nicious their  deceit  has  been,  the  more  dreadful  and  venomous 
and  the  more  numerous  the  serpents  appear  which  surround 
and  torment  them.  They  know  not  but  that  they  are  ser- 
pents; they  feel  similar  pains  and  similar  torments.  Few 
perhaps  will  believe  this,  but  yet  it  is  true.  These  are  they 
who  practise  deceit  with  premeditation,  and  feel  therein  the 
delight  of  their  life.  The  punishments  of  the  deceitful  are 
various,  each  according  to  the  nature  of  the  deceit.  In  gen- 
eral such  persons  are  not  tolerated  in  societies,  but  are  ex- 
pelled ;  for  whatever  a  spirit  thinks,  they  who  are  near 
instantly  know  and  perceive;  thus  they  perceive  whether 
there  is  anything  of  deceit,  and  what  sort  of  deceit.  There- 
fore, being  at  length  expelled  from  societies,  they  sit  in  soli- 
tude ;  and  they  then  appear  with  a  broad  face,  the  breadth 
equalling  that  of  four  or  five  faces  of  others,  and  with  a  broad 
fleshy  cap  turning  white,  sitting  as  images  of  death,  in  tor- 
ment. There  are  others  who  are  deceitful  by  nature,  thus  not 
so  much  from  premeditation,  and  not  clandestinely  under  a 
feigned  countenance.  They  are  known  at  once,  and  their 
thought  is  plainly  perceived.  They  even  boast  of  it,  as  if 
they  would  appear  shrewd.  These  have  not  such  a  hell.  But, 


388  GENESIS  [N.  830 

by  the  Divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  more  will  be  said  about  the 
deceitful  hereafter. 

831.  There  are  women  who  have  lived  in  the  indulgence  of 
their  natural  inclinations,  caring  only  for  themselves  and  the 
world,  and  making  the  whole  of  life  and  the  delight  of  life  to 
consist  in  outward  decorum,  in  consequence  of  which  they 
have  been  highly  esteemed  in  polite  society.  They  have  thus, 
by  practice  and  habit,  acquired  the  talent  of  insinuating  them- 
selves into  the  desires  and  pleasures  of  others,  under  the  pre- 
tense of  what  is  honorable,  but  with  the  purpose  of  gaining 
control  over  them.  Their  life  therefore  became  one  of  dis- 
simulation and  deceit.  Like  others  they  frequented  churches, 
but  for  no  other  end  than  that  they  might  appear  virtuous 
and  pious  ;  and  moreover  they  were  without  conscience,  and 
very  prone  to  shameful  acts  and  adulteries,  so  far  as  these 
could  be  concealed.  Such  women  think  in  the  same  way  in 
the  other  life,  knowing  not  what  conscience  is,  and  ridiculing 
those  who  speak  of  it.  They  enter  into  the  affections  of  others, 
whatever  these  may  be,  by  simulating  virtue,  piety,  pity,  and 
innocence,  which  are  their  means  of  deceiving ;  but  whenever 
outward  restraints  are  removed,  they  rush  into  things  most 
wicked  and  obscene.  [2]  These  are  the  women  who  become 
enchantresses  or  sorceresses  in  the  other  life,  some  of  whom 
are  those  called  Sirens ;  and  they  there  become  expert  in  arts 
unknown  in  the  world.  They  are  like  sponges  that  imbibe 
nefarious  artifices ;  and  are  of  such  talent  that  they  quickly 
put  them  in  practice.  The  arts  unknown  in  this  world  which 
they  learn  in  the  other  are  these.  They  can  speak  as  though 
they  were  in  another  place,  so  that  their  voice  is  heard  there 
as  from  good  spirits.  They  can  as  it  were  be  with  many  at 
the  same  time,  thus  persuading  others  that  they  are  as  if 
present  everywhere.  They  can  speak  as  several  persons  at. 
the  same  time,  and  in  several  places  at  the  same  time.  They 
can  turn  aside  what  flows  in  from  good  spirits,  even  what  flows 
in  from  angelic  spirits,  and  in  divers  ways  pervert  it  instantly 
in  favor  of  themselves.  They  can  put  on  the  likeness  of 
another,  by  the  ideas  of  him  which  they  conceive  and  fashion. 
They  can  inspire  any  one  with  an  affection  for  themselves,  by 
insinuating  themselves  into  the  very  state  of  another's  affec- 


N.  831]  HELL  389 

tion.  They  can  withdraw  suddenly  out  of  sight,  and  escape 
unseen.  They  can  represent  before  the  eyes  of  spirits  a  white 
flame  about  the  head,  which  is  an  angelic  sign,  and  this  before 
many.  They  can  in  divers  ways  feign  innocence,  even  by 
representing  infants  whom  they  kiss.  They  also  excite  others, 
whom  they  hate,  to  kill  them  (for  they  know  they  cannot  die), 
and  then  divulge  it  and  accuse  them  of  murder.  [3]  They 
have  called  up  out  of  my  memory  whatever  of  evil  I  have 
thought  and  done,  and  this  most  skillfully.  While  I  was 
asleep  they  have  talked  with  others,  just  as  if  from  me,  so 
that  the  spirits  were  persuaded  of  it,  thus  of  things  false  and 
obscene.  And  many  other  arts  they  have.  Their  nature  is  so 
persuasive  that  no  room  is  left  therein  for  any  doubt ;  there- 
fore their  ideas  are  not  communicated  like  those  of  other 
spirits.  And  their  eyes  are  like  those  ascribed  to  serpents, 
seeing  and  paying  attention  every  way  at  once.  These  sor- 
ceresses or  sirens  are  grievously  punished,  some  in  Gehenna, 
some  in  a  kind  of  court  among  snakes ;  some  by  wrenchings 
and  various  collisions,  attended  with  the  greatest  pain  and 
torture.  In  course  of  time  they  are  separated  from  all  society 
and  become  like  skeletons  from  head  to  foot.  A  continuation 
of  the  subject  follows  at  the  end  of  the  chapter. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

1.  And  God  remembered  Noah,  and  every  wild  animal,  and 
every  beast  that  was  with  him  in  the  ark ;  and  God  made  a 
wind  to  pass  over  the  earth,  and  the  waters  assuaged. 

2.  The  fountains  also  of   the  deep,  and  the  cataracts  of 
heaven  were  stopped,  and  the  rain  from  heaven  was  restrained. 

3.  And  the  waters  receded  from  off  the  earth,  going  and  re- 
turning ;  and  after  the  end  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  days  the 
waters  failed 

4.  And  the  ark  rested  in  the  seventh  month,  on  the  seven- 
teenth day  of  the  month,  upon  the  mountains  of  Ararat. 


390  GENESIS  [N.  831 

5.  And  the  waters  were  going  and  failing  until  the  tenth 
month ;  in  the  tenth  month,  on  the  first  day  of  the  month,  the 
tops  of  the  mountains  appeared. 

********* 

6.  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  forty  days,  that  Noah 
opened  the  window  of  the  ark  which  he  had  made : 

7.  And  he  sent  forth  a  raven,  and  it  went  forth,  going  and 
returning,  until  the  waters  were  dried  up  from  off  the  earth. 

8.  And  he  sent  forth  a  dove  from  him,  to  see  if  the  waters 
were  abated  from  off  the  faces  of  the  ground. 

9.  And  the  dove  found  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  her  foot,  and 
she  returned  unto  him  to  the  ark,  for  the  waters  were  on  the 
faces  of  the  whole  earth ;  and  he  put  forth  his  hand  and  took 
her,  and  brought  her  in  unto  him  into  the  ark. 

10.  And  he  stayed  yet  other  seven  days ;  and  again  he  sent 
forth  the  dove  out  of  the  ark ; 

11.  And  the  dove  came  back  to  him  at  eventide ;  and  lo  in 
her  mouth  an  olive  leaf  plucked  off ;  so  Noah  knew  that  the 
waters  were  abated  from  off  the  earth. 

12.  And  he  stayed  yet  other  seven  days,  and  sent  forth  the 
dove,  and  she  returned  not  again  unto  him  any  more. 

13.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  six  hundred  and  first  year,  in 
the  beginning,  on  the  first  of  the  month,  that  the  waters  were 
dried  up  from  off  the  earth ;  and  Noah  removed  the  covering 
of  the  ark,  and  saw,  and  behold,  the  faces  of  the  ground  were 
dry. 

14.  In  the  second  month,  on  the  seven  and  twentieth  day 
of  the  month,  was  the  earth  dry. 

********* 

15.  And  God  spake  unto  Noah,  saying, 

16.  Go  forth  from  the  ark,  thou  and  thy  wife,  and  thy  sons, 
and  thy  sons'  wives  with  thee. 

17.  Every  wild  animal  that  is  with  thee  of  all  flesh,  as  to 
fowl,  and  as  to  beast,  and  as  to  every  creeping  thing  that 
creepeth  upon  the  earth,  bring  forth  with  thee,  that  they  may 
spread  themselves  in  the  earth,  and  be  fruitful,  and  multiply 
upon  the  earth. 

18.  And  Noah  went  forth,  and  his  sons,  and  his  wife,  and 
his  sons'  wives  with  him. 


N.  832]  CHAPTEE   VIII.  391 

19.  Every  wild  animal,  every  creeping  thing,  and  every  fowl, 
every  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth,  according  to  their 
families,  went  forth  out  of  the  ark. 

********* 

20.  And  Noah  builded  an  altar  unto  Jehovah ;  and  took  of 
every  clean  beast,  and  of  every  clean  fowl,  and  offered  burnt- 
offerings  on  the  altar. 

21.  And  Jehovah  smelled  an  odor  of  rest ;  and  Jehovah  said 
in  His  heart,  I  will  not  again  curse  the  ground  any  more  on 
man's  account ;  because  the  imagination  of  man's  heart  is  evil 
from  his  youth ;  neither  will  I  again  smite  any  more  everything 
living,  as  I  have  done. 

22.  During  all  the  days  of  the  earth,  seed  time  and  harvest, 
and  cold  and  heat,  and  summer  and  winter,  and  day  and  night, 
shall  not  cease. 


THE  CONTENTS. 

832.  The  subject  which  now  follows  in  due  connection  is 
the  man  of  the  new  church,  who  is  called  "  Noah ;"  and  in  fact 
the  subject  is  his  state  after  temptation,  even  to  his  regenera- 
tion, and  thereafter. 

833.  His  first  state  after  temptation,  and  his  fluctuation 
between  what  is  true  and  what  is  false,  until  truths  begin  to 
appear,  is  treated  of  (verses  1  to  5). 

834.  His  second  state  which  is  threefold:  first,  when  the 
truths  of  faith  are  not  yet ;  next,  when  there  are  truths  of  faith 
together  with  charity ;  and  afterwards,  when  the  goods  of  charity 
shine  forth  (verses  6  to  14). 

835.  His  third  state,  when  he  begins  to  act  and  think  from 
charity,  which  is  the  first  state  of  the  regenerate  (verses  15 
to  19). 

836.  His  fourth  state,  when  he  acts  and  thinks  from  charity, 
which  is  the  second  state  of  the  regenerate  (verses  20,  21). 

837.  Lastly,  the  new  church,  raised  up  in  the  place  of  the 
former,  is  described  (verses  21,  22). 


392  GENESIS  [N.  838 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

838.  In  the  two  preceding  chapters,  the  new  church  called 
"  Noah,"  or  the  man  of  that  church,  was  treated  of :  first,  his 
preparation  for  receiving  faith,  and  by  faith,  charity ;  next, 
his  temptation ;  and  afterwards,  his  protection,  when  the  Most 
Ancient  Church  was  perishing.    What  here  follows  is  his  state 
after  temptation,  which  is  described  exactly  in  the  order  in 
which  it  was  effected,  both  with  him  and  with  all  who  become 
regenerate ;  for  the  Word  of  the  Lord  is  such  that  wherever  it 
treats  of  one  person,  it  treats  of  all  men,  and  of  every  individ- 
ual, with  a  difference  according  to  the  disposition  of  each  :  this 
being  the  universal  sense  of  the  Word. 

839.  Verse  1.  And  God  remembered  Noah,  and  every  wild 
animal,  and  every  beast  that  was  with  him  in  the  ark ;  and 
God  made  a  wind  to  pass  over  the  earth,  and  the  waters  as- 
suaged.   "  And  God  remembered,"  signifies  the  end  of  tempta- 
tion and  beginning  of  renovation ;  by  "  Noah"  is  signified,  as 
before,  the  man  of  the  Ancient  Church ;  by  "  every  wild  ani- 
mal and  every  beast  that  was  with  him  in  the  ark,"  are  signi- 
fied all  things  that  he  had ;  and  by  "  God  made  a  wind  to  pass 
over  the  earth,  and  the  waters  assuaged,"  is  signified  the  dis- 
posal of  all  things  into  their  order. 

840.  And  God  remembered.     That  this  signifies  the  end  of 
temptation  and  the  beginning  of  renovation,  is  evident  from 
what  precedes  and  follows.    "  God  remembered"  signifies,  spe- 
cifically, that  He  is  merciful,  for  His  remembrance  is  mercy ; 
and  this  is  especially  predicated  after  temptation,  because  new 
light  then  shines  forth.     So  long  as  temptation  continues,  the 
man  supposes  the  Lord  to  be  absent,  because  he  is  troubled  by 
evil  genii  so  severely  that  sometimes  he  is  reduced  to  despair, 
and  can  scarcely  believe  there  is  any  God.     Yet  the  Lord  is 
then  more  closely  present  than  he  can  ever  believe.    But  when 
temptation  ceases,  the  man  receives  consolation,  and  then  first 
believes  the  Lord  to  be  present.     Therefore  in  the  passage  be- 
fore us,  the  words  "  God  remembered,"  expressed  according  to 
the  appearance,  signify  the  end  of  temptation,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  renovation.    "  God"  is  said  to  remember,  and  not  "  Je- 


N.  840]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VEK.  1  393 

hovah,"  because  as  yet  the  man  was  in  a  state  antecedent  to 
regeneration ;  but  when  he  is  regenerated,  then  "  Jehovah"  is 
named  (as  at  the  end  of  this  chapter,  verses  20,  21).  The  rea- 
son is  that  faith  is  not  yet  conjoined  with  charity,  for  man 
is  for  the  first  time  said  to  be  regenerated  when  he  acts  from 
charity.  In  charity  Jehovah  is  present,  but  not  so  much  in 
faith  before  it  is  joined  to  charity.  Charity  is  the  very  being 
and  life  of  man  in  the  other  world ;  and  as  Jehovah  is  Being 
and  Life  itself,  so  before  man  is  and  lives,  "  Jehovah"  is  not 
said  to  be  with  him,  but  "  God." 

841.  That  by  "  Noah"  is  signified,  as  before,  the  man  of  the 
Ancient  Church ;  and  by  "  every  wild  animal,  and  every  beast 
that  was  with  him  in  the  ark,"  everything  that  belonged  to 
him,  is  evident  from  what  was  previously  stated  concerning 
Noah,  and  concerning  the  signification  of  "  wild  animal,"  and 
"  beast."     In  the  Word  "  wild  animal"  is  taken  in  a  twofold 
sense,  namely,  for  those  things  in  man  which  are  alive,  and  for 
those  which  are  dead.    It  stands  for  what  is  alive,  because  the 
word  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  signifies  a  living  thing ;  but  as  the 
most  ancient  people  in  their  humiliation  acknowledged  them- 
selves to  be  as  wild  animals,  the  word  became  also  a  type  of 
what  is  dead  in  man.     In  the  present  passage,  by  "  wild  ani- 
mal" is  meant  both  what  is  alive  and  what  is  dead  in  one  com- 
plex, in  accordance  with  what  is  usually  the  case  with  man 
after  temptation,  in  whom  the  living  and  the  dead,  or  the 
things  which  are  of  the  Lord,  and  those  which  are  man's  own, 
appear  &o  confounded  that  he  scarcely  knows  what  is  true  and 
good ;  but  the  Lord  then  reduces  and  disposes  all  things  into 
order,  as  is  evident  from  what  follows.    That  a  "  wild  animal" 
signifies  what  is  alive  in  man,  may  be  seen  in  the  preceding 
chapter  (vii.  verse  14),  and  in  the  present  chapter  (verses  17, 
19) ;  that  it  also  signifies  what  is  dead  in  man,  is  evident  from 
what  has  been  shown  above  respecting  wild  animals  and  beasts 
(n.  45,  46,  142,  143,  246). 

842.  And  God  made  a  wind  to  pass  over  the  earth,  and  the 
waters  assuaged.    That  this  signifies  the  disposal  of  all  things 
into  their  order,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  wind"  in 
the  Word.     All  spirits,  both  good  and  evil,  are  compared  and 
likened  to  and  are  also  called  "  winds ;"  and  in  the  original 


394  GENESIS  [N.  842 

tongue  "  spirits"  are  expressed  by  the  same  word  that  means 
"  winds."  In  temptations  (which  are  here  the  "  waters  that 
assuaged,"  as  was  shown  above),  evil  spirits  cause  an  inunda- 
tion, by  inflowing  in  crowds  with  their  phantasies,  and  exciting 
similar  phantasies  in  man;  and  when  these  spirits  or  their 
phantasies  are  dispersed,  it  is  said  in  the  Word  to  be  done  by 
a  "  wind,"  and  indeed  by  an  "  east  wind."  [2]  It  is  the  same 
with  one  man  during  temptation  and  when  the  commotions  or 
waters  of  temptation  cease,  as  it  is  with  man  in  general,  as  I 
have  learned  by  repeated  experience ;  for  evil  spirits  in  the 
world  of  spirits  sometimes  band  together  in  troops,  and  thereby 
excite  disturbances  until  they  are  dispersed  by  other  bands  of 
spirits,  coming  mostly  from  the  right,  and  so  from  the  eastern 
quarter,  who  strike  such  fear  and  terror  into  them  that  they 
think  of  nothing  but  flight.  Then  those  who  had  associated 
themselves  are  dispersed  into  all  quarters,  and  thereby  the  so- 
cieties of  spirits  formed  for  evil  purposes  are  dissolved.  The 
troops  of  spirits  who  thus  disperse  them  are  called  the  East 
Wind ;  and  there  are  also  innumerable  other  methods  of  dis- 
persion, also  called  "east  winds,"  concerning  which,  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter.  When  evil  spirits  are  thus  dis- 
persed, the  state  of  commotion  and  turbulence  is  succeeded  by 
serenity,  or  silence,  as  is  also  the  case  with  the  man  who  has 
been  in  temptation ;  for  while  in  temptation  he  is  in  the  midst 
of  such  a  band  of  spirits,  but  when  they  are  driven  away  or 
dispersed,  there  follows  as  it  were  a  calm,  which  is  the  begin- 
ning of  the  disposal  of  all  things  into  order.  [3]  Before  any- 
thing is  reduced  into  a  state  of  order,  it  is  most  usual  that 
things  should  be  reduced  into  a  confused  mass,  or  chaos  as  it 
were,  so  that  those  which  do  not  well  cohere  together  may  be 
separated,  and  when  they  are  separated,  then  the  Lord  disposes 
them  into  order.  This  process  may  be  compared  with  what 
takes  place  in  nature,  where  all  things  in  general  and  singly 
are  first  reduced  to  a  confused  mass,  before  being  disposed  into 
order.  Thus,  for  instance,  unless  there  were  storms  in  the  at- 
mosphere, to  dissipate  whatever  is  heterogeneous,  the  air  could 
never  become  serene,  but  would  become  deadly  by  pestiferous 
accumulations.  So  in  like  manner  in  the  human  body,  unless 
all  things  in  the  blood,  both  heterogeneous  and  homogeneous, 


N.  842]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  1  395 

did  continuously  and  successively  flow  together  into  one  heart, 
to  be  there  commingled,  there  would  be  deadly  conglutinations 
of  the  liquids,  and  they  could  in  no  way  be  distinctly  disposed 
to  their  respective  uses.  Thus  also  it  is  with  man  in  the  course 
of  his  regeneration.  [4]  That  "  wind,"  and  especially  the  "  east 
wind,"  signifies  nothing  else  than  the  dispersion  of  falsities 
and  evils,  or,  what  is  the  same,  of  evil  spirits  and  genii,  and 
afterwards  a  disposal  into  order,  may  be  seen  from  the  Word, 
as  in  Isaiah  : — 

Thou  shalt  fan  them,  and  the  wind  shall  carry  them  away,  and  the 
whirlwind  shall  scatter  them  ;  and  thou  shalt  rejoice  hi  Jehovah,  thou 
shalt  glory  in  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  (xli.  16). 

Here  dispersion  is  compared  to  "wind,"  and  scattering  to  a 
"  whirlwind,"  which  is  said  of  evils  ;  then  they  who  are  regen- 
erate shall  rejoice  in  Jehovah.  In  David : — 

Lo,  the  kings  assembled  themselves,  they  passed  by  together ;  they  saw 
it,  then  were  they  amazed ;  they  were  dismayed,  they  hasted  away  ; 
trembling  took  hold  of  them  there,  pain  as  of  a  woman  in  travail ;  with 
the  east  wind  Thou  breakest  the  ships  of  Tarshish  (Ps.  xlviii.  4-7). 

Here  is  described  the  terror  and  confusion  occasioned  by  an 
east  wind,  the  description  being  taken  from  what  passes  in  the 
world  of  spirits,  which  is  involved  in  the  internal  sense  of  the 
Word.  [5]  In  Jeremiah  : — 

To  make  their  land  an  astonishment :  I  will  scatter  them  as  with  an 
east  wind  before  the  enemy,  I  will  look  upon  their  neck,  and  not  their 
face,  in  the  day  of  their  calamity  (xviii.  16,  17). 

Here  in  like  manner  the  "  east  wind"  stands  for  the  dispersion 
of  falsities.  Similar  also  was  the  representation  of  the  east 
wind  by  which  the  Red  Sea  was  dried  up,  that  the  sons  of 
Israel  might  pass  over,  as  described  in  Exodus : — 

Jehovah  caused  the  sea  to  go  back  by  a  strong  east  wind  all  the  night, 
and  made  the  sea  dry  land,  and  the  waters  were  divided  (xiv.  21). 

The  signification  of  the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea  was  similar  to 
that  of  the  waters  of  the  flood  in  the  present  passage,  as  is  evi- 
dent from  the  fact  that  the  Egyptians  (by  whom  are  repre- 
sented the  wicked)  were  drowned  therein,  while  the  sons  of 
Israel  (by  whom  are  represented  the  regenerate,  as  by  "  Noah" 
here)  passed  over.  By  the  "  Red  Sea,"  the  same  as  by  the 


396  GENESIS  [N.  842 

"  flood,"  is  represented  damnation,  as  also  temptation ;  and 
thus  by  the  "  east  wind"  is  signified  the  dissipation  of  the 
waters,  that  is,  of  the  evils  of  damnation,  or  of  temptation,  as 
is  evident  from  the  song  of  Moses  after  they  had  passed  over 
(Exod.  xv.  1-19)  ;  and  also  from  Isaiah : — 

Jehovah  shall  utterly  destroy  the  tongue  of  the  Egyptian  sea,  and  with 
His  mighty  wind  shall  He  shake  His  hand  over  the  river,  and  shall  smite 
it  into  seven  streams,  and  cause  men  to  march  over  dryshod.  And  there 
shall  be  a  highway  for  the  remnant  of  His  people  which  shall  remain,  from 
Assyria,  like  as  there  was  for  Israel  in  the  day  that  he  came  up  out  of 
the  land  of  Egypt  (xi.  15,  16). 

Here  "  a  highway  for  the  remnant  of  the  people  which  shall 
remain,  from  Assyria,"  signifies  a  disposing  into  order. 

843.  Verse  2.   The  fountains  also  of  the  deep  and  the  cata- 
racts of  heaven  were  stopped,  and  the  rain  from  heaven  was 
restrained.     These  words  signify  that  temptation  ceased ;  "the 
fountains  also  of  the  deep,"  signify  evils  of  the  will ;  "  the  cata- 
racts of  heaven,"  falsities  of  the  understanding;  and  "rain" 
signifies  temptation  itself  in  general. 

844.  From  this  to  the  sixth  verse  the  first  state  of  the  man 
of  this  church  is  treated  of,  after  temptation;    and  what  is 
said  in  the  present  verse  signifies  the  cessation  of  temptation. 
His  temptation,  both  as  to  what  is  of  the  will  and  as  to  what 
is  of  the  understanding,  has  been  previously  treated  of ;  and 
its  cessation  as  to  what  is  of  the  will  is  here  meant  by  "  the 
fountains  of  the  deep  being  stopped ;"  and  its  cessation  as  to 
what  is  of  the  understanding,  by  "the  cataracts  of  heaven 
being  stopped."    That  these  expressions  have  such  a  significa- 
tion has  been  stated  and  shown  in  the  preceding  chapter  (vii. 
11) ;    and  also  that  "  rain"  signifies  temptation  itself  (verse 
12),  wherefore  there  is  no  need  to  dwell  longer  in  confirma- 
tion. 

845.  The  reason  why  the  "fountains  of  the  deep"  signify 
temptation  as  to  what  is  of  the  will,  and  the  "  cataracts  of 
heaven,"  temptation  as  to  what  is  of  the  understanding,  is 
that  it  is  what  is  of  the  will  of  man  that  is  influenced  by  hell, 
and  not  so  much  what  is  of  the  understanding,  unless  this  has 
been  immersed  in  cupidities,  which  are  of  the  will.      Evils, 
which  are  of  the  will,  are  what  condemn  man  and  thrust  him 


N.  845]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  2  397 

down  to  hell,  and  not  so  much  falsities,  unless  they  become 
conjoined  with  evils,  for  then  the  one  follows  the  other.  The 
truth  of  this  statement  may  be  seen  from  the  case  of  very 
many  of  those  who  are  in  falsities,  and  are  yet  saved,  which 
is  the  case  with  many  among  the  Gentiles,  who  have  lived  in 
natural  charity  and  in  mercy,  and  with  Christians  who  have 
believed  in  simplicity  of  heart.  Their  ignorance  and  sim- 
plicity excuse  them,  because  in  these  there  can  be  innocence. 
But  it  is  otherwise  with  those  who  have  confirmed  themselves 
in  falsities,  and  have  thus  contracted  such  a  life  of  falsity  that 
they  refuse  and  reject  all  truth;  for  this  life  of  falsity  must 
be  vastated  before  anything  of  truth  and  thus  of  good  can  be 
inseminated.  It  is  however  still  worse  with  those  who  have 
confirmed  themselves  in  falsities  under  the  influence  of  their 
cupidities,  so  that  the  falsities  and  the  cupidities  have  come  to 
constitute  one  life ;  for  these  are  they  who  plunge  themselves 
into  hell.  This  is  the  reason  why  temptation  as  to  what  is  of 
the  will  is  signified  by  the  "  fountains  of  the  deep,"  which  are 
the  hells,  and  temptation  as  to  what  is  of  the  understanding 
by  the  "  cataracts  of  heaven,"  which  are  the  clouds,  from  which 
comes  rain. 

846.  Verse  3.  And  the  waters  receded  from  off  the  earth, 
going  and  returning  ;  and  after  the  end  of  a  hundred  and  fifty 
days  the  waters  failed.     "  The  waters   receded   from   off  the 
earth,  going   and   returning,"  signifies   fluctuations   between 
what  is  true  and  what  is  false ;  and  "  after  the  end  of  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  days  the  waters  failed,"  signifies  that  the  temp- 
tations ceased;    "a  hundred  and   fifty  days,"  here  as  above 
signify  a  termination. 

847.  And  the  waters  receded  from  off  the  earth,  going  and 
returning.      That  this  signifies  fluctuations  between  what  is 
true  and  what  is  false,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said : 
that  the  waters  of  the  flood,  or  inundations,  with  respect  to 
Noah,  signified  temptations ;    for  as  the  subject  is  here  the 
first  state  after  temptation,  the  "  waters  receding,  going  and 
returning,"  can  signify  nothing  else  than  fluctuation  between 
truths  and  falsities.      The  nature  of  this  fluctuation  however 
cannot  be  known  unless  it  is  known  what  temptation  is,  for 
such  as  is  the  temptation,  such  is  the  fluctuation  after  it. 


398  GENESIS  [N.  847 

When  the  temptation  is  celestial,  then  the  fluctuation  is  be- 
tween good  and  evil;  when  it  is  spiritual,  the  fluctuation  is 
between  what  is  true  and  what  is  false ;  and  when  it  is 
natural,  the  fluctuation  is  between  the  things  that  belong  to 
and  those  which  are  contrary  to  the  cupidities.  [2]  There 
are  many  kinds  of  temptations,  which  are  in  general  the  celes- 
tial, the  spiritual,  and  the  natural ;  and  these  ought  never  to 
be  confounded.  Celestial  temptations  can  exist  only  with 
those  who  are  in  love  to  the  Lord,  and  spiritual  ones  with 
those  only  who  are  in  charity  toward  the  neighbor.  Natural 
temptations  are  altogether  distinct  from  these,  and  indeed  are 
not  temptations,  but  merely  anxieties  arising  from  natural 
loves  being  assailed  by  misfortunes,  diseases,  or  a  depraved 
condition  of  the  blood  and  other  fluids  of  the  body.  From 
this  brief  account  it  may  in  some  degree  be  known  what  temp- 
tation is,  namely,  anguish  and  anxiety  occasioned  by  whatever 
opposes  one's  loves.  Thus  with  those  who  are  in  love  to  the 
Lord,  whatever  assails  this  love  produces  an  inmost  torture, 
which  is  celestial  temptation;  with  those  who  are  in  love 
toward  the  neighbor,  or  charity,  whatever  assails  this  love 
occasions  torment  of  conscience,  and  this  is  spiritual  tempta- 
tion ;  [3]  but  with  those  who  are  natural,  what  they  frequently 
call  temptations  and  the  pangs  of  conscience,  are  not  tempta- 
tions, but  only  anxieties  arising  from  their  loves  being  assailed, 
as  when  they  foresee  and  are  sensible  of  the  loss  of  honor,  of 
the  good  things  of  the  world,  of  reputation,  pleasures,  bodily 
life,  and  the  like ;  nevertheless  these  troubles  are  wont  to  be 
productive  of  some  good.  Temptations  are  moreover  experi- 
enced by  those  who  are  in  natural  charity,  and  consequently 
by  all  kinds  of  heretics,  Gentiles,  and  idolaters,  arising  from 
assaults  on  the  life  of  their  faith  which  they  cherish.  But 
these  are  distresses  that  are  merely  emulous  of  spiritual  temp- 
tations. 

848.  When  the  temptations  are  over,  there  is  as  it  were  a 
fluctuation,  and  if  the  temptation  was  spiritual,  it  is  a  fluctu- 
ation between  what  is  true  and  what  is  false,  which  may  be 
sufficiently  evident  from  this,  that  temptation  is  the  beginning 
of  regeneration ;  and  as  all  regeneration  has  for  its  end  that 
man  may  receive  new  life,  or  rather  that  he  may  receive  life, 


N.  848]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  3  399 

and  from  being  no  man  may  become  man,  or  from  dead  be 
made  living,  therefore  when  his  former  life,  which  is  merely 
animal,  is  destroyed  by  temptations,  he  cannot  but  fluctuate 
between  what  is  true  and  what  is  false.  Truth  is  of  the  new 
life,  falsity  of  the  old  ;  and  unless  the  former  life  is  destroyed, 
and  this  fluctuation  takes  place,  it  is  impossible  for  any  spirit- 
ual seed  to  be  sown,  because  there  is  no  ground.  [2]  When 
however  the  former  life  is  destroyed  and  such  fluctuation  re- 
sults, the  man  scarcely  knows  what  is  true  and  good,  and 
indeed  scarcely  whether  there  is  any  such  thing  as  truth 
Thus,  for  example,  when  he  reflects  about  the  goods  of  charity, 
or,  as  they  are  called,  good  works,  and  considers  whether  or  no 
he  can  do  them  from  himself  and  have  merit  in  himself,  he  is 
in  such  obscurity  and  darkness,  that  when  informed  that  no 
one  can  do  good  from  himself  or  from  his  Own,  and  that  still 
less  can  any  one  possess  merit,  but  that  all  good  is  from  the 
Lord,  and  all  merit  is  His  alone,  he  must  be  lost  in  wonder. 
And  so  it  is  in  all  other  matters  of  faith ;  but  still  the  obscurity 
and  darkness  of  his  mind  become  sensibly  and  gradually  en- 
lightened. [3]  It  is  with  regeneration  exactly  as  with  man's 
birth  as  an  infant.  His  life  is  then  very  obscure ;  he  knows 
almost  nothing,  and  therefore  at  first  receives  only  general  im- 
pressions of  things,  which  by  degrees  become  more  distinct  as 
particular  ideas  are  inserted  in  them,  and  in  these  again  still 
more  minute  particulars.  Thus  are  generals  illustrated  by 
particulars,  so  that  the  child  may  learn  not  only  the  existence 
of  things,  but  also  their  nature  and  quality.  So  it  is  with 
every  one  who  emerges  out  of  spiritual  temptation  ;  and  the 
state  of  those  in  the  other  life  who  have  been  in  falsities  and 
are  being  vastated,  is  also  similar.  This  state  is  called  Fluctu- 
ation, and  is  here  described  by  "the  waters  receding,  going 
and  returning." 

849.  And  after  the  end  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  days  the  waters 
failed.  That  this  signifies  •  that  temptations  ceased,  now  fol- 
lows plainly  from  what  has  been  said.  That  "  a  hundred  and 
fifty  days"  signifies  a  termination,  is  evident  from  what  was 
said  of  this  number  in  the  foregoing  chapter  (verse  24) ;  thus 
here  it  is  the  termination  of  the  fluctuation  and  the  beginning 
of  a  new  life. 


400  GENESIS  [N.  850 

850.  Verse  4.  And  the  ark  rested  in  the  seventh  month,  on  the 
•seventeenth  day  of  the  month,  upon  the  mountains  of  Ararat.  "  The 
ark  rested,"  signifies  regeneration ;  "  the  seventh  month,"  signi- 
fies what  is  holy ;  "  the  seventeenth  day  of  the  month,"  signifies 
what  is  new ;  and  "  the  mountains  of  Ararat,"  signifies  light. 

851.  That  "  the  ark  rested"  signifies  regeneration,  is  evident 
from  the  fact  that  the  "  ark"  signifies  the  man  of  this  church ; 
and  that  all  the  things  which  it  contained  signify  all  the  things 
that  were  in  him,  as  has  been  fully  shown  before.    When  there- 
fore the  ark  is  said  to  "  rest,"  it  means  that  this  man  was  being 
regenerated.     The  connection  of  the  literal  sense  may  indeed 
seem  to  imply  that  by  the  ark's  "  resting"  is  signified  the  ces- 
sation of  the  fluctuations  that  follow  temptation  (spoken  of  in 
the  preceding  verse) ;  but  fluctuations,  which  are  doubts  and 
obscurities  concerning  what  is  true  and  good,  do  not  so  cease, 
but  persist  for  a  long  time,  as  will  be  evident  from  what  follows. 
Hence  it  is  evident  that  the  continuity  of  things  is  different  in 
the  internal  sense ;  and  as  they  are  arcana,  it  is  permitted  here 
to  unfold  them ;  and  they  are  that  the  spiritual  man,  like  the 
celestial,  after  enduring  temptations,  becomes  in  like  manner 
the  "rest"  of  the  Lord;  and  further,  that  he  in  like  manner 
becomes  the  seventh  (not  the  seventh  day,  like  the  celestial 
man,  but  the  seventh)  month.     (Concerning  the  celestial  man 
as  being  the  rest  of  the  Lord,  or  the  Sabbath,  and  the  seventh 
day,  see  above,  n.  84—88.)     As  however  there  is  a  difference 
between  the  celestial  man  and  the  spiritual  man,  the  "  rest"  of 
the  former  is  expressed  in  the  original  language  by  a  word 
which  means  the  Sabbath,  while  the  "  rest"  of  the  latter  is  ex- 
pressed by  another  term,  from  which  he  is  named  "  Noah," 
which  properly  means  "  rest." 

852.  That  the  "seventh  month"  signifies  what  is  holy,  is 
abundantly  evident  from  what  has  been  shown  before  (n.  84- 
87,  395,  716).     This  holiness  corresponds  to  what  was  said 
with  reference  to  the  celestial  man  (chapter  ii.  verse  3) :  that 
the  seventh  day  was  sanctified,  because  God  rested  therein. 

853.  That  the  "seventeenth  day"  signifies  what  is  new,  is 
evident  from  what  has  been  said  and  shown  concerning  the 
same  number  in  the  preceding  chapter  (vii.  11 ;  n.  755),  where 
it  signifies  a  beginning ;  and  every  beginning  is  new. 


N.  854]  CHAPTER  VIII.  VER.  4  401 

854.  That  the  "mountains  of  Ararat"  signify  light  (lumen), 
is  evident  from  the  signification  of  a  "  mountain,"  as  being  the 
good  of  love  and  charity  (n.  795) ;  and  from  the  signification 
of  "  Ararat,"  as  being  light,  and  indeed  the  light  of  the  regen- 
erate.   New  light,  or  the  first  light  of  the  regenerate,  never  de- 
rives its  existence  from  the  knowledges  of  the  truths  of  faith, 
but  from  charity.     The  truths  of  faith  are  like  rays  of  light ; 
love  or  charity  is  like  flame ;  and  the  light  of  him  who  is  being 
regenerated  is  not  from  the  truths  of  faith,  but  from  charity, 
the  truths  of  faith  themselves  being  rays  of  light  therefrom. 
Thus  it  is  evident  that  the  "  mountains  of  Ararat"  signify  such 
light.     This  is  the  first  light  perceived  after  temptation,  and 
being  the  first,  it  is  obscure,  and  is  called  lumen,  not  lux. 

855.  From  these  things  it  is  now  evident  what  this  verse  in 
the  internal  sense  signifies,  namely,  that  the  spiritual  man  is  a 
holy  "  rest,"  by  virtue  of  a  new  intellectual  light  that  is  derived 
from  charity.    These  truths  are  perceived  by  angels  in  a  variety 
so  wonderful,  and  in  an  order  so  delightful,  that  could  man  but 
obtain  a  single  such  idea,  there  would  be  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  things  in  a  manifold  series  that  would  enter  and  affect 
him,  and  in  fact  such  things  as  could  not  possibly  be  described. 
Such  is  the  Word  of  the  Lord  in  its  internal  sense  throughout, 
even  when  it  appears  in  the  letter  to  be  crude  history,  as  when 
it  is  here  said  that  "  the  ark  rested  in  the  seventh  month,  on 
the  seventeenth  day  of  the  month,  upon  the   mountains  of 
Ararat." 

856.  Verse  5.  And  the  waters  ivere  going  and  failing  until 
the  tenth  month  ;  in  the  tenth  month,  on  the  first  day  of  the 
month,  the  tops  of  the  mountains  appeared.     "  And  the  waters 
were  going  and  failing,"  signifies  that  falsities  began  to  disap- 
pear ;  "  in  the  tenth  month,"  signifies  the  truths  which  are  of 
remains ;    "  on  the  first  day  of  the  month  the  tops   of   the 
mountains  appeared,"  signifies  the  truths  of  faith,  which  then 
began  to  be  seen. 

857.  And  the  waters  were  going  and  failing.     That  this  sig- 
nifies that  falsities  began  to  disappear,  is  evident  from  the 
words  themselves,  as  well  as    from  what  was    shown    above 
(verse  3),  where  it  is  said  that  "the  waters  receded,  going 
and  returning."     Here  however  it  is  said  that  "the  waters 

VOL.  1—26 


402  GENESIS  [N.  857 

were  going  and  failing,"  and  by  this,  as  by  the  former  phrase, 
are  signified  fluctuations  between  what  is  true  and  what  is 
false,  but  here  that  these  fluctuations  were  decreasing.  The 
case  with  fluctuations  after  temptation  (as  before  said)  is  that 
the  man  does  not  know  what  truth  is,  but  that  as  by  degrees 
the  fluctuations  cease,  so  the  light  of  truth  appears.  The 
reason  of  this  is  that  so  long  as  the  man  is  in  such  a  state, 
the  internal  man,  that  is,  the  Lord  through  the  internal  man, 
cannot  operate  upon  the  external.  In  the  internal  man  are 
remains,  which  are  affections  of  what  is  good  and  true,  as 
before  described ;  in  the  external  are  cupidities  and  their  de- 
rivative falsities  ;  and  so  long  as  these  latter  are  not  subdued 
and  extinguished,  the  way  is  not  open  for  goods  and  truths 
from  the  internal,  that  is,  through  the  internal  from  the  Lord. 
[2]  Temptations,  therefore,  have  for  their  end  that  the  exter- 
nals of  man  may  be  subdued  and  thus  be  rendered  obedient  to 
his  internals,  as  may  be  evident  to  every  one  from  the  fact  that 
as  soon  as  man's  loves  are  assaulted  and  broken  (as  during 
misfortunes,  sickness,  and  grief  of  mind),  his  cupidities  begin 
to  subside,  and  he  at  the  same  time  begins  to  talk  piously ; 
but  as  soon  as  he  returns  to  his  former  state,  the  external 
man  prevails  and  he  scarcely  thinks  of  such  things.  The  like 
happens  at  the  hour  of  death,  when  corporeal  things  begin 
to  be  extinguished;  and  hence  every  one  may  see  what  the 
internal  man  is,  and  what  the  external ;  and  also  what  remains 
are,  and  how  cupidities  and  pleasures,  which  are  of  the  ex- 
ternal man,  hinder  the  Lord's  operation  through  the  internal 
man.  From  this  it  is  also  plain  to  every  one  what  tempta- 
tions, or  the  internal  pains  called  the  stings  of  conscience,  ef- 
fect, namely,  that  the  external  man  is  made  obedient  to  the 
internal.  The  obedience  of  the  external  man  is  nothing  else 
than  this :  that  the  affections  of  what  is  good  and  true  are 
not  hindered,  resisted,  and  suffocated  by  cupidities  and  their 
derivative  falsities.  The  ceasing  of  the  cupidities  and  falsities 
is  here  described  by  "  the  waters  which  were  going  and  failing." 
858.  That  the  "  tenth  month"  signifies  the  truths  which 
are  of  remains,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  ten,"  as 
being  remains  (n.  576) ;  and  from  what  was  said  above  con- 
cerning the  remains  in  the  internal  man. 


N.  859]  CHAPTER   VIII.   VEB.  5  403 

859.  That  "  on  the  first  day  of  the  month  the  tops  of  the 
mountains  appeared"  signifies  the  truths  of  faith  which  then 
begin  to  be  seen,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  moun- 
tains" (n.  795),  as   being  the  goods  of  love  and  of  charity. 
Their  tops  begin  to  be  seen  when  man  is  being  regenerated, 
and  is  being  gifted  with  conscience,  and  thereby  with  charity ; 
and  he  who  supposes  that  he  sees  the  tops  of  the  mountains, 
or  the  truths  of  faith,  from  any  other  ground  than  from  the 
goods  of  love  and  of  charity,  is  quite  mistaken ;  since  without 
these,  Jews  and  profane  Gentiles  may  see  them  in  the  same 
way.     The  "  tops  of  the  mountains"  are  the  first  dawnings  of 
light  which  appear. 

860.  From  these  things  it  is  also  evident  that  all  regenera- 
tion proceeds  from  evening  to  morning,  as  is  stated  six  times 
over  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  where  the  regeneration  of 
man  is  treated  of,  and  where  evening  is  described  in  verses  2 
and  3 ;  and  morning  in  verses  4  and  5.     In  the  present  verse 
the  first  dawning  of  light,  or  the  morning  of  this  state,  is  de- 
scribed by  "the  tops  of  the  mountains  appearing." 

861.  Verse  6.  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  forty  days, 
that  Noah  opened  the  window  of  the  ark  which  he  had  'made. 
"  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  forty  days,"  signifies  the 
duration  of  the  former  state,  and  the  beginning  of  the  follow- 
ing one ;  "  that  Noah  opened  the  window  of  the  ark  which  he 
had  made,"  signifies  a  second  state,  when  the  truths  of  faith 
appeared  to  him. 

862.  And  it  came  to  pass  at  the  end  of  forty  days.     That 
this  signifies  the  duration  of  the  former  state,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  following  one,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of 
"  forty,"  which  was  explained  at  n.  730 ;  where,  the  subject 
being  temptation,  it  is  said  "  forty  days  and  forty  nights,"  sig- 
nifying the  duration  of  the  temptation.     But  because  the  sub- 
ject here  is  the  state  following  temptation,  it  is  said  "  forty 
days,"  but  not  forty  nights.     The  reason  is,  that  charity,  which 
in  the  Word  is  compared  to  "  day"  and  called  "  day,"  now  be- 
gins to  appear ;  and  faith  which  precedes  being  not  yet  so  con- 
joined with' charity,  is  compared  to  "  night"  and  called  "  night" 
(as  in  chapter  i.  verse  16;  and  in  other  parts  of  the  Word). 
In  the  Word  faith  is  also  called  "  night,"  from  its  receiving 


404  GENESIS  [N.  862 

its  light  from  charity,  as  the  moon  does  from  the  sun ;  and 
hence  faith  is  compared  to  the  "  moon"  and  called  the  "  moon," 
and  love  or  charity  is  compared  to  the  "  sun"  and  called  the 
"  sun."  "  Forty  days"  (or  the  duration  which  they  signify) 
have  respect  both  to  what  precedes  and  to  what  follows,  where- 
fore it  is  said,  "  at  the  end  of  forty  days ;"  thus  they  signify 
the  duration  of  the  former  state  and  the  beginning  of  that 
now  treated  of.  Here  then  commences  the  description  of  the 
second  state  of  the  man  of  this  church  after  temptation. 

863.  That  Noah  opened  the  window  of  the  ark  which  he  had 
made.     That  this  signifies  a  second  state  when  the  truths  of 
faith  appeared  to  him,  is  evident  from  the  last  words  of  the 
preceding  verse :   "  the  tops  of  the  mountains  appeared ;"  and 
from  their  signification,  as  also  from  the  signification  of  a 
"  window"  (see  n.  655)  as  being  the  understanding,  or,  what  is 
the  same,  the  truth  of  faith ;  and  likewise  from  this  being  the 
first  dawning  of  light.     Concerning  the  understanding,  or  the 
truth  of  faith,  signified  by  a  "  window,"  it  may  be  observed 
here  as  above,  that  no  truth  of  faith  is  possible  except  from 
the  good  of  love  or  of  charity,  as  there  can.be  no  true  under- 
standing except  from  what  is  of  the  will.    If  you  remove  what 
is  of  the  will,  there  is  no  understanding,  as  has  been  often 
shown    before;    and    so  if   you    remove  charity,  there  is  no 
faith  ;  but  as  the  will  of  man  is  mere  cupidity,  in  order  to 
prevent  the  immersion  of  what  is  of  his  understanding,  or  the 
truth  of  faith,  in  his  cupidity,  the  Lord  has  wonderfully  pro- 
vided that  what  is  of  the  understanding  should  be  separated 
from  what  is  of  the  will  of  man,  by  a  certain  medium,  which 
is  conscience,  and  in  which  He  may  implant  charity.     With- 
out this  wonderful  providence  no  one  could  ever  have  been 
saved. 

864.  Verse  7.  And  he  sent  forth  a  raven,  and  it  went  forth, 
going  and  returning,  until  the  waters  were  dried  up  from  off  the 
earth.     "  And  he  sent  forth  a  raven,  and  it  went  forth,  going 
and  returning,"  signifies  that  falsities  still  made  disturbance ; 
by  a  "  raven"  are  signified  falsities  ;  and  by  "  going  forth,  going 
and  returning,"  is  signified  that  such  was  their  state;  "until 
the  waters  were  dried  up  from  off  the  earth,"  signifies  the  ap- 
parent dissipation  of  falsities. 


N.  865]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  7 

865.  And  he  sent  forth  a  raven,  and  it  went  forth,  going  and 
returning.  That  by  this  is  signified  that  falsities  still  made 
disturbance,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  a  "  raven,"  and 
of  "going  forth,  going  and  returning,"  concerning  whioh  more 
will  be  said  hereafter.  In  this  passage  is  described  the  second 
state  of  the  man  who  is  to  be  regenerated,  after  temptation, 
when  the  truths  of  faith,  like  the  first  dawning  of  light,  begin 
to  appear.  Such  is  the  nature  of  this  state  that  falsities  are 
continually  making  disturbance,  so  that  it  resembles  the  morn- 
ing twilight,  while  somewhat  of  the  obscurity  of  night  still 
remains,  as  is  here  signified  by  a  "  raven."  Falsities  with  the 
spiritual  man,  especially  before  his  regeneration,  are  like  the 
dense  spots  of  a  cloud.  The  reason  is  that  he  can  know  noth- 
ing of  the  truth  of  faith  except  from  what  is  revealed  in  the 
Word,  where  all  things  are  stated  in  a  general  way ;  and  gen- 
erals are  but  as  the  spots  of  a  cloud,  for  every  general  compre- 
hends in  it  thousands  and  thousands  of  particulars,  and  each 
particular  thousands  and  thousands  of  singulars,  all  generals 
being  illustrated  by  the  singulars  of  the  particulars.  These 
have  never  been  so  revealed  to  man,  because  they  are  both  in- 
describable and  inconceivable,  and  so  can  neither  be  acknowl- 
edged nor  believed  in ;  for  they  are  contrary  to  the  fallacies 
of  the  senses  in  which  man  is,  and  which  he  does  not  easily 
permit  to  be  destroyed.  [2]  It  is  altogether  otherwise  with 
the  celestial  man,  who  possesses  perception  from  the  Lord ; 
for  in  him  particulars  and  singulars  of  particulars  can  be  in- 
sinuated. For  example :  that  true  marriage  is  that  of  one  man 
with  one  wife  ;•  and  that  such  marriage  is  representative  of  the 
heavenly  marriage,  and  therefore  heavenly  happiness  can  be  in 
it,  but  never  in  a  marriage  of  one  man  with  a  plurality  of 
wives.  The  spiritual  man,  who  knows  this  from  the  Word  of 
the  Lord,  acquiesces  in  it,  and  hence  admits  as  a  matter  of 
conscience  that  marriage  with  more  wives  than  one  is  a  sin  ; 
but  he  knows  no  more.  The  celestial  man  however  perceives 
thousands  of  things  which  confirm  this  general,  so  that  mar- 
riage with  more  wives  than  one  excites  his  abhorrence.  As  the 
spiritual  man  knows  generals  only,  and  has  his  conscience 
formed  from  these,  and  as  the  generals  of  the  Word  have  been 
accommodated  to  the  fallacies  of  the  senses,  it  is  evident  that 


406  GENESIS  [N.  866 

innumerable  falsities,  which  cannot  be  dispersed,  will  adjoin 
and  insinuate  themselves  into  them.  These  falsities  are  here 
signified  by  "  the  raven  which  went  forth,  going  and  return- 
ing." 

866.  That  a  "  raven"  signifies  falsities,  is  evident  in  a  gen- 
eral way  from  what  has  been  said  and  shown  above  concerning 
birds,  that  they  signify  things  of  understanding,  of  reason, 
and  of  memory -knowledge,  and  also  the  opposite,  which  are 
reasonings  and  falsities.     Both  of  these  are  described  in  the 
Word  by  various  species  of  birds ;  truths  of  understanding 
by  birds  which  are  gentle,  beautiful,  and  clean ;  and  falsities  by 
those  which  are  ravenous,  ugly,  and  unclean,  in  each  case  vary- 
ing according  to  the  species  of  truth  or  falsity.     Gross  and 
dense  falsities  are  described  by  owls  and  ravens ;  by  owls  be- 
cause they  live  in  the  darkness  of  night,  and  by  ravens,  be- 
cause they  are  of  a  black  color.     As  in  Isaiah  : — 

The  owl  also  and  the  raven  shall  dwell  therein  (xxxiv.  11), 

where  the  Jewish  Church  is  described  as  being  the  habitation 
of  mere  falsities,  represented  by  the  owl  and  the  raven. 

867.  That  "  going  and  returning"  signifies  that  such  was 
their  state,  is  evident  from  the  falsities  with  man  while  in  his 
first  and  second  state  after  temptation,  namely,  that  the  falsi- 
ties thus  fly  about,  going  and  returning,  for  the  reason  men- 
tioned above,  that  man  at  that  time  is  and  can  be  only  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  most  general  things,  into  which  flow  phanta- 
sies arising  from  corporeal,  sensuous,  and  worldly  things,  which 
do  not  agree  with  the  truths  of  faith. 

868.  Until  the  waters  were  dried  up  from  off  the  earth.    That 
this  signifies  the  apparent  dissipation  of  falsities,  is  evident 
from  the  state  of  man  when  he  is  being  regenerated.     Every 
one  believes  at  the  present  day  that  the  evils  and  falsities  in 
man  are  entirely  separated  and  abolished  during  regeneration, 
so  that  when  he  becomes  regenerate,  nothing  of  evil  or  falsity 
remains,  but  he  is  clean  and  righteous,  like  one  washed  and 
purified  with  water.     This  notion  is,  however,  utterly  false ; 
for  not  a  single  evil  or  falsity  can  be  so  shaken  off  as  to  be 
abolished ;  but  whatever  has  been  hereditarily  derived  from  in- 
fancy, and  acquired  by  act  and  deed,  remains ;  so  that  man, 


N.  868]  CHAPTER   VHI.  VER.  7  407 

notwithstanding  his  being  regenerate,  is  nothing  but  evil  and 
falsity,  as  is  shown  to  the  life  to  souls  after  death.  The  truth 
of  this  may  be  sufficiently  manifest  from  the  consideration, 
that  there  is  nothing  of  good  and  nothing  of  truth  in  man  ex- 
cept from  the  Lord,  and  that  all  evil  and  falsity  are  man's 
from  his  Own  ;  and  that  man,  and  spirit,  and  even  angel,  if  left 
in  the  least  to  himself,  would  rush  of  himself  into  hell ;  where- 
fore also  it  is  said  in  the  Word  that  heaven  is  not  pure.  This 
is  acknowledged  by  angels,  and  he  who  does  not  acknowledge 
it  cannot  be  among  angels.  It  is  the  Lord's  mercy  alone  that 
liberates  them,  and  even  draws  them  out  of  hell  and  keeps  them 
from  mshing  thither  of  themselves.  That  they  are  kept  by 
the  Lord  from  rushing  into  hell,  is  manifestly  perceived  by  the 
angels,  and  even  in  a  measure  by  good  spirits.  Evil  spirits 
however,  like  men,  do  not  believe  this ;  but  it  has  often  been 
shown  them,  as  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  will  be  told  from 
experience  hereafter.  [2]  Since  therefore  the  state  of  man  is 
such  that  no  evil  and  falsity  can  ever  be  so  shaken  off  as  to  be 
abolished,  because  the  life  that  is  proper  to  him  consists  in  evil 
and  falsity,  the  Lord,  from  Divine  mercy,  while  He  regenerates 
man,  through  temptations  so  subdues  his  evils  and  falsities 
that  they  appear  as  if  dead,  though  they  are  not  dead,  but  are 
only  subdued  so  that  they  cannot  fight  against  the  goods  and 
truths  which  are  from  the  Lord.  At  the  same  time  also  the 
Lord  through  temptations  gives  man  a  new  faculty  of  re- 
ceiving goods  and  truths,  by  gifting  him  with  ideas  and  affec- 
tions of  good  and  of  truth,  to  which  evils  and  falsities  can  be 
bent,  and  by  inserting  in  his  generals  (of  which  above)  par- 
ticulars, and  in  these  singulars,  which  are  stored  up  in  man 
and  which  he  knows  nothing  about,  for  they  are  interior  to  the 
sphere  of  his  apprehension  and  perception.  These  are  of  a 
nature  to  serve  for  receptacles  or  vessels,  so  that  charity  can 
be  insinuated  into  them  by  the  Lord,  and  into  charity  inno- 
cence. By  their  wonderful  tempering  with  man,  spirit,  and 
angel,  a  kind  of  rainbow  may  be  represented,  and  for  this  rea- 
son the  rainbow  was  made  the  sign  of  the  covenant  (chapter  ix. 
verses  12  to  17),  concerning  which,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy 
we  shall  speak  under  that  chapter.  When  man  has  been  thus 
formed,  he  is  said  to  be  regenerate,  all  his  evils  and  falsities 


408  GENESIS  [N.  868 

still  remaining,  yet  at  the  same  time  all  his  goods  and  truths 
being  preserved.  With  an  evil  man  all  his  evils  and  falsities, 
just  as  he  had  them  in  the  life  of  the  body,  return  in  the  other 
life  and  are  turned  into  infernal  phantasies  and  punishments. 
But  with  a  good  man,  all  his  states  of  good  and  truth,  such  as 
those  of  friendship,  of  charity,  and  of  innocence,  are  recalled 
in  the  other  life,  and  together  with  their  delights  and  happi- 
nesses, are  there  immensely  augmented  and  multiplied.  These 
things  then  are  what  is  signified  by  the  drying  of  the  waters, 
which  is  the  apparent  dissipation  of  falsities. 

869.  Verse  8.  And  he  sent  forth  a  dove  from  him,  to  see  if 
the  waters  were  abated  from  off  the  faces  of  the  ground.     By 
"  a  dove"  are  signified  the  truths  and  goods  of  faith  with  him 
who  is  to  be  regenerated ;  "  and  he  sent  forth  a  dove  from  him 
to  see,"  signifies  the  state  of  receiving  the  truths  and  goods  of 
faith;  "if  the  waters  were  abated,"  signifies  falsities  which 
impede ;  "  the  faces  of  the  ground,"  signifies  the  things  which 
are  in  the  man  of  the  church ;  it  is  said  "  ground"  because  this 
is  the  first  state  when  man  becomes  a  church. 

870.  That  by  a  "  dove"  are  signified  the  truths  and  goods 
of  faith  with  him  who  is  to  be  regenerated,  is  evident  from  the 
signification  of  a  "  dove"  in  the  Word,  especially  the  dove  which 
came  upon  Jesus  when  He  was  baptized,  of  which  we  read  in 
Matthew : — 

Jesus  when  He  was  baptized,  went  up  straightway  out  of  the  water, 
and  lo  the  heavens  were  opened,  and  He  saw  the  Spirit  of  God  descend- 
ing like  a  dove,  and  coming  upon  Him  (iii.  16  ;  also  John  i.  32  ;  Luke  iii. 
21,  22  ;  Mark  i.  10,  11). 

Here  the  "  dove"  signified  nothing  else  than  the  holy  of  faith ; 
and  the  "  baptism"  itself,  regeneration ;  so  that  there  was  sig- 
nified, in  the  new  church  which  was  to  arise,  the  truth  and 
good  of  faith  which  is  received  by  regeneration  from  the  Lord. 
Similar  things  were  represented  and  involved  by  the  young 
pigeons  or  turtle-doves  that  were  offered  for  sacrifice  and  burnt- 
offering  in  the  Jewish  Church,  of  which  we  read  in  Leviticus 
(i.  14  to  end;  v.  7-10;  xii.  6,  8;  xiv.  21,  22;  xv.  14,  29,  30; 
Num.  vi.  10,  11 ;  Luke  ii.  22-24),  as  is  evident  from  the  several 
passages.  That  they  had  such  a  signification  every  one  may 
comprehend  from  the  sole  consideration  that  they  must  needs 


N.  870]  CHAPTER   VIII.   VER.  8  409 

represent  something  ;  for  otherwise  they  would  have  no  mean- 
ing and  would  be  in  no  respect  Divine,  for  what  is  external  of 
the  church  is  an  inanimate  affair,  but  lives  from  what  is  inter- 
nal, and  this  from  the  Lord.  [2]  That  a  "dove"  in  general 
signifies  the  intellectual  things  of  faith,  is  also  evident  in  the 
Prophets,  as  in  Hosea : — 

Ephraim  will  be  like  a  silly  dove,  without  heart ;  they  called  Egypt, 
they  went  unto  Assyria  (vii.  11). 

And  again,  concerning  Ephraim  : — 

They  shall  be  afraid,  as  a  bird  out  of  Egypt,  and  as  a  dove  out  of  the 
land  of  Assyria  (xi.  11). 

Here  "  Ephraim"  denotes  one  who  is  intelligent,  "  Egypt"  one 
who  has  knowledge,  "  Assyria"  one  who  is  rational,  a  "  dove" 
what  is  of  the  intellectual  things  of  faith ;  and  here  also  the 
subject  is  the  regeneration  of  the  spiritual  church.  Again  in 
David : — 

O  Jehovah,  deliver  not  the  soul  of  Thy  turtle-dove  unto  the  wild  beast 
(Ixxiv.  19)  ; 

where  "  wild  beast"  denotes  those  who  are  of  no  charity ;  the 
"  soul  of  the  turtle-dove,"  the  life  of  faith.  See  also  what 
has  been  said  and  shown  before  about  birds,  that  they  signify 
intellectual  things  :  gentle,  beautiful,  clean,  and  useful  birds, 
intellectual  truths  and  goods ;  but  fierce,  ugly,  unclean,  and 
useless  birds,  the  opposite,  or  falsities,  such  as  the  raven,  which 
is  here  opposed  to  the  dove. 

871.  And  he  sent  forth  a  dove  from  him  to  see.  That  this 
signifies  a  state  of  receiving  the  truths  and  goods  of  faith,  is 
evident  from  the  connection  of  the  things,  as  also  from  what 
follows,  where  the  three  states  of  the  regeneration  of  this  man 
after  temptations  are  treated  of,  which  are  signified  by  his  send- 
ing forth  the  dove  three  times.  Here  the  words  proximately 
involve  his  exploration ;  for  it  is  said  that  he  "  sent  forth  the 
dove  from  him  to  see,"  namely,  whether  the  waters  were  abated ; 
that  is,  whether  the  falsities  were  still  so  abundant  that  goods 
and  truths  could  not  be  received.  But  with  the  Lord  there  is 
no  exploration,  because  He  knows  all  things  both  in  general 
and  in  particular.  In  the  internal  sense  therefore,  the  words 
signify,  not  exploration,  but  state,  and  here  the  first  state,  when 


410  GENESIS  [N.  871 

falsities  were  still  hindering,  which  is  signified  by  the  words, 
"  whether  the  waters  were  abated." 

872.  That  the  "faces  of   the  ground"  mean  those  things 
which  are  in  the  man  of  the  church,  and  that  the  "  ground"  is 
mentioned  because  this  is  the  first  state  when  the  man  is  be- 
coming a  church,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  ground" 
(shown  above),  as  being  the  man  of  the  church,  who  is  called 
"  ground"  when  the  goods  and  truths  of  faith  can  be  sown  in 
him,  but  before  this  he  is  called  "  earth."    So  in  the  first  chap- 
ter of    Genesis,  before  the  man  became  celestial,  "earth"  is 
predicated  of  him ;  but  when  he  became  celestial,  as  described 
in  the  second  chapter,  "  ground"  and  "  field"  are  predicated  of 
him.     It  is  similar  in  the  present  chapter.     Merely  from  the 
word  "  earth"  and  the  word  "  ground"  may  be  seen  what  is  sig- 
nified in  the  internal  sense,  not  only  here,  but  everywhere  in 
the  Word.     By  "  ground"  in  the  universal  sense  is  signified 
the  church ;  and  because  the  church,  the  man  of  the  church  is 
also  signified ;  for,  as  said  before,  each  man  of  the  church  is  a 
church. 

873.  Verse  9.  And  the  dove  found  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  her 
foot,  and  she  returned  unto  him  to  the  ark,  for  the  waters  were 
on  the  faces  of  the  whole  earth  ;  and  he  put  forth  his  hand  and 
took  her,  and  brought  her  in  unto  him  into  the  ark.     "  And  the 
dove  found  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  her  foot,"  signifies  that 
nothing  of  the  good  and  truth  of  faith  could  yet  take  root; 
"and  she  returned  unto  him  to  the  ark,"  signifies  good  and 
truth  appearing  with  him  as  though  they  were  of  faith ;  "  for 
the  waters  were  on  the  faces  of  the  whole  earth,"  signifies  that 
falsities  were  still  overflowing ;  "  and  he  put  forth  his  hand," 
signifies  his  own  power ;  "  and  took  her  and  brought  her  in 
unto  him  into  the  ark,"  signifies  that  he  did  what  was  good 
and  thought  what  was  true  from  himself. 

874.  Here  is  described  the  first  state  of  the  regeneration  of 
the  man  of  this  church  after  temptation,  which  state  is  common 
to  all  who  are  being  regenerated,  namely,  that  they  suppose 
they  do  what  is  good  and  think  what  is  true  from  themselves ; 
and  because  they  are  as  yet  in  great  obscurity,  the  Lord  also 
leaves  them  so  to  imagine.     But  still  all  the  good  they  do  and 
all  the  truth  they  think  while  in  such  imagination,  is  not  the 


N.  874]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  9  411 

good  and  truth  of  faith.  For  whatever  man  produces  of  him- 
self cannot  be  good,  because  it  is  from  himself,  that  is,  from 
a  fountain  which  is  impure  and  most  unclean.  From  this  im- 
pure and  unclean  fountain  no  good  can  ever  go  forth,  for  the 
man  is  always  thinking  of  his  own  merit  and  righteousness ; 
and  some  go  so  far  as  to  despise  others  in  comparison  with 
themselves  (as  the  Lord  teaches  in  Luke  xviii.  9-14),  and 
others  err  in  other  ways.  Man's  own  cupidities  intermingle 
themselves,  so  that  while  it  appears  outwardly  to  be  good,  it 
is  inwardly  filthy.  For  this  reason  the  good  which  man  does 
in  this  state  is  not  the  good  of  faith,  and  the  case  is  the  same 
with  the  truth  that  he  thinks,  for  although  that  which  he 
thinks  may  be  very  true,  yet  so  long  as  it  is  from  what  is  his 
own  it  is  indeed  in  itself  the  truth  of  faith,  but  the  good  of 
faith  is  not  in  it ;  and  all  truth,  in  order  to  be  the  truth  of 
faith,  must  have  in  it  from  the  Lord  the  good  of  faith.  Then 
for  the  first  time  there  are  good  and  truth. 

875.  But  the  dove  found  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  her  foot.  That 
this  signifies  that  nothing  of  the  good  and  truth  of  faith  could 
yet  take  root,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  a  "  dove,"  as 
being  the  truth  of  faith,  and  from  the  signification  of  "  rest 
for  the  sole  of  the  foot,"  as  being  to  take  root.  The  reason 
that  it  could  not  take  root  is  told  in  what  follows,  namely, 
that  falsities  were  still  overflowing.  But  how  this  is  cannot 
be  understood  unless  it  be  known  how  the  regeneration  of  the 
spiritual  man  is  effected.  [2]  With  this  man  the  knowledges 
of  faith  are  to  be  implanted  in  his  memory  from  the  Word  of 
the  Lord,  or  from  doctrinal  things  therefrom  (which  the 
Ancient  Church  had  from  what  was  revealed  to  the  Most 
Ancient  Church),  and  thereby  his  intellectual  mind  is  to  be 
instructed.  But  as  long  as  falsities  overflow  therein,  the 
truths  of  faith,  howsoever  sown,  cannot  take  root.  They  re- 
main on  the  surface  only,  that  is,  in  the  memory;  nor  does  the 
ground  become  fit  for  them  until  the  falsities  have  been  shaken 
off  so  as  not  to  appear,  as  before  said.  [3]  The  real  "  ground'' 
with  this  man  is  prepared  in  his  intellectual  mind,  and  when 
it  has  been  prepared  the  good  of  charity  is  insinuated  by  the 
Lord,  and  from  this,  conscience,  from  which  he  afterwards 
acts,  that  is,  through  which  the  Lord  works  the  good  and  truth 


412  GENESIS  [N.  875 

of  faith.  Thus  the  Lord  makes  the  intellectual  things  of  this 
man  distinct  from  those  of  his  will,  so  that  they  are  never 
united ;  for  if  they  should  be  united,  he  could  not  but  perish 
eternally.  [4]  With  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  the 
things  of  the  will  were  united  to  those  of  the  understanding, 
as  they  also  are  with  the  celestial  angels.  But  with  the  man 
of  this  Ancient  Church  they  were  not  united,  nor  are  they 
with  any  spiritual  man.  It  appears  indeed  as  if  the  good  of 
charity  which  he  does  were  of  his  will,  but  this  is  only  an  ap- 
pearance and  fallacy.  All  the  good  of  charity  that  he  does  is 
of  the  Lord  alone,  not  through  the  will,  but  through  conscience. 
If  the  Lord  should  let  go  ever  so  little  and  suffer  the  man  to 
act  from  his  own  will,  instead  of  good  he  would  do  evil  from 
hatred,  revenge,  and  cruelty.  [5]  The  case  is  the  same  with 
the  truth  that  the  spiritual  man  thinks  and  speaks  :  unless  he 
were  to  think  and  speak  from  conscience,  and  thus  from  the 
good  that  is  of  the  Lord,  he  could  never  think  and  speak  truth 
otherwise  than  as  do  the  devils  of  hell  when  they  feign  them- 
selves angels  of  light.  All  this  is  clearly  manifest  in  the 
other  life.  From  these  things  it  is  evident  in  what  manner 
regeneration  is  effected,  and  what  the  regeneration  of  the 
spiritual  man  is :  that  in  fact  it  is  the  separation  of  his  intel- 
lectual part  from  the  will  part,  by  means  of  conscience,  which 
is  formed  by  the  Lord  in  his  intellectual  part ;  and  whatever 
is  done  from  this  appears  as  if  done  by  the  man's  will,  but  is 
really  done  by  the  Lord. 

876.  And  she  returned  unto  him  to  the  ark.  That  this  sig- 
nifies good  and  truth  appearing  as  though  they  were  of  faith, 
is  evident  from  what  has  been  said,  and  also  from  what  fol- 
lows. In  the  internal  sense,  to  "  return  to  the  ark"  does  not 
signify  liberation,  for  this  is  signified  by  being  sent  forth  from 
the  ark  and  not  returning,  as  is  evident  from  what  follows,  in 
the  twelfth  verse,  that  he  sent  forth  the  dove  and  she  returned 
not  again  to  him  any  more ;  and  further  from  the  fifteenth 
and  sixteenth  verses,  that  Noah  was  commanded  to  go  forth 
from  the  ark ;  and  from  the  eighteenth,  that  he  went  forth. 
The  "  ark"  signifies  the  state  of  the  man  of  this  church  before 
regeneration,  in  which  he  was  in  captivity,  or  in  prison,  beset 
on  all  sides  by  evils  and  falsities,  or  by  the  waters  of  the  flood. 


N.  876]  CHAPTER   VHI.  VER.  9  413 

And  so  the  dove's  returning  unto  Noah  to  the  ark,  signifies 
that  the  good  and  truth  meant  by  the  dove  returned  again  to 
the  man.  For  whatever  good  a  man  supposes  that  he  does 
from  himself,  returns  to  him,  since  it  regards  himself ;  as  he 
does  it  either  that  it  may  appear  before  the  world,  or  before 
the  angels,  or  that  he  may  merit  heaven,  or  that  he  may  be 
greatest  in  heaven.  Such  things  are  in  man's  Own  and  in  every 
one  of  its  ideas,  though  in  outward  form  there  is  an  appear- 
ance as  of  the  good  and  truth  of  faith.  The  good  and  truth 
of  faith  is  inwardly  good  and  true  from  the  very  inmosts ; 
that  is,  all  the  good  and  truth  of  faith  flows  in  from  the  Lord 
through  man's  inmosts.  But  when  what  a  man  does  is  from 
his  Own,  or  from  merit,  then  the  interiors  are  filthy  and  the 
exteriors  appear  clean ;  just  as  with  a  filthy  harlot  who  appears 
fair  in  the  face ;  or  like  an  Ethiopian,  or  rather  an  Egyptian 
mummy,  wrapped  in  a  white  garment. 

877.  For  the  waters  were  on  the  faces  of  the  ivhole  earth. 
That  this  signifies  that  falsities  were  still  overflowing,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  signification  of  the  "  waters"  of  the  flood,  as 
being  falsities  (which  has  been  sufficiently  shown  before),  and 
also  from  the  very  words. 

878.  And  he  put  forth  his  hand  and  took  her,  and  brought 
her  in  unto  him  into  the  ark.    That  this  signifies  his  own  power, 
and  that  he  did  what  was  good  and  thought  what  was  true  from 
himself,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  hand/'  as  being 
power,  and  thus  here  his  own  power  from  which  he  did  these 
things.     For  to  "  put  forth  his  hand  and  take  the  dove  and 
bring  her  in  to  himself,"  is  to  apply  and  attribute  to  himself 
the  truth  meant  by  the  "  dove."     That  by  "  hand"  is  signified 
power,  also  authority  (potestas),  and  the  derivative  self-confi- 
dence, is  evident  from  many  passages   in  the  Word,  as   in 
Isaiah : — 

I  will  visit  upon  the  fruit  of  the  greatness  of  heart  of  the  king  of  As- 
syria, because  he  hath  said,  By  the  strength  of  my  hand  I  have  done  it 
and  by  my  wisdom,  for  I  am  intelligent  (x.  12,  13), 

where  "hand"  manifestly  denotes  his  own  strength  to  which 
he  attributed  what  he  did,  and  this  was  the  cause  of  the  visi- 
tation upon  him.  Again  : — 


414  GENESIS  [N.  8*> 

Moab  shall  spread  forth  his  hands  in  the  midst  of  him,  as  he  that 
swimmeth  spreadeth  forth  his  hands  to  swim,  and  He  shall  lay  low  his 
pride  together  with  the  cataracts  of  his  hands  (xxv.  11) ; 

where  "  hands"  denote  man's  own  power,  from  regarding  him- 
self as  above  others,  thus  from  pride.  [2]  Again  : — 

Their  inhabitants  were  short  of  hand,  they  were  dismayed  and  put  to 
shame  (xxxvii.  27)  ; 

"  short  of  hand"  meaning  of  no  power.     Again  : — 

Shall  the  clay  say  to  the  potter,  What  makest  thou  ?  or  thy  work,  He 
hath  no  hands  ?  (xlv.  9). 

Here  "he  hath  no  hands,"  means  that  he  has  no  power.  In 
Ezekiel : — 

The  king  shall  mourn,  and  the  prince  shall  be  clothed  with  stupefac- 
tion, and  the  hands  of  the  people  of  the  land  shall  be  troubled  (vii.  27), 

where  "  hands"  denote  power.     In  Micah  : — 

Woe  to  them  that  devise  iniquity,  and  work  evil  upon  their  beds ; 
when  the  morning  is  light  they  practise  it,  because  their  hand  is  their 
god  (ii.  1), 

where  "  hand"  denotes  their  own  power  in  which  they  trust  as 
their  god.  In  Zechariah  : — 

Woe  to  the  worthless  shepherd  that  leaveth  the  flock  ;  the  sword  shall 
be  upon  his  arm,  and  upon  his  right  eye  ;  his  arm  shall  be  clean  dried  up, 
and  his  right  eye  shall  be  utterly  darkened  (xi.  17). 

[3]  Because  "  hands"  signify  powers,  man's  evils  and  falsities 
are  continually  called  in  the  Word  "  the  works  of  his  hands." 
Evils  are  from  the  Own  of  man's  will,  falsities  are  from  the 
Own  of  his  understanding.  That  this  is  the  source  of  evils 
and  falsities  is  evident  enough  from  the  nature  of  man's  Own, 
which  is  nothing  but  evil  and  falsity  (as  may  be  seen  above, 
n.  39,  41,  141,  150,  154,  210,  215).  As  "hands"  in  general 
signify  power,  "  hands"  are  many  times  in  the  Word  attributed 
to  Jehovah,  or  the  Lord,  and  then  by  "  hands"  is  understood  in 
the  internal  sense  Omnipotence,  as  in  Isaiah : — 

Jehovah,  Thy  hand  is  lifted  up  (xxvi.  11), 
denoting  the  Divine  power.     Again : — 

Jehovah  stretched  out  His  hand,  all  are  consumed  (xxxi.  3), 


N.  878]  CHAPTER  VIII.  VER.  9  415 

denoting  the  Divine  power.     Again  : — 

Concerning  the  work  of  My  hands  command  ye  Me  ;  My  hands  have 
stretched  out  the  heavens  and  all  their  army  have  I  commanded  (xlv. 
11,  12), 

denoting  the  Divine  power.  The  regenerate  are  often  called 
in  the  Word  "  the  work  of  the  hands  of  Jehovah."  In  the 
same : — 

Mine  hand  hath  laid  the  foundation  of  the  earth,  and  My  right  hand 
hath  measured  the  heavens  with  the  palm  (xlviii.  13), 

where  "  hand"  and  "  right  hand"  denote  omnipotence.  [4] 
Again : — 

Is  My  hand  shortened  at  all  that  it  cannot  redeem  ?  or  have  I  no  power 
to  deliver  ?  (1.  2), 

denoting  the  Divine  power.     In  Jeremiah  : — 

Thou  hast  made  the  heaven  and  the  earth  by  Thy  great  power  and  by 
Thy  stretched  out  arm  ;  and  didst  bring  forth  Thy  people  Israel  out  of 
the  land  of  Egypt  with  signs,  and  with  wonders,  and  with  a  strong  hand, 
and  with  a  stretched  out  arm  (xxxii.  17,  21), 

denoting  the  Divine  power ;  "  power"  being  named  in  the  seven- 
teenth verse,  and  "  hand"  in  the  twenty -first.  That  Israel  wa& 
brought  out  of  Egypt  with  "  a  strong  hand  and  with  a  stretched 
out  arm,"  is  often  said.  In  Ezekiel : — 

Thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovih,  In  the  day  when  I  chose  Israel,  and 
lifted  up  Mine  hand  unto  the  seed  of  the  house  of  Jacob,  and  made  My- 
self known  unto  them  in  the  land  of  Egypt ;  I  lifted  up  Mine  hand  unto 
them,  to  bring  them  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  (xx.  5,  6,  23). 

In  Moses : — 

Israel  saw  the  great  hand  which  Jehovah  executed  upon  the  Egyptians 
(Exod.  xiv.  31). 

[5]  That  by  "  hand"  is  signified  power  is  now  plainly  manifest 
from  these  passages.  Indeed  "  hand"  was  so  significant  of 
power  that  it  became  also  its  representative,  as  is  evident  from 
the  miracles  that  were  done  in  Egypt,  when  Moses  was  com- 
manded to  stretch  forth  his  rod,  or  hand,  and  so  they  were 
done  ;  as  in  JZxodus  : — 

Moses  stretched  forth  his  rod  toward  heaven,  and  Jehovah  rained  hail 
upon  the  land  of  Egypt  (ix.  22,  23)  ;  Moses  stretched  forth  his  hand  to- 
ward heaven,  and  there  was  a  thick  darkness  (x.  21,  22)  ;  Moses  stretched 
out  his  hand  over  the  sea,  and  Jehovah  made  the  sea  dry  land  ;  and  Moses 
stretched  forth  his  hand  over  the  sea,  and  the  sea  returned  (xiv.  21,  27)- 


416  GENESIS  [N.  878 

No  one  with  mental  capacity  for  right  thinking  can  believe  that 
there  was  any  such  power  in  the  hand  or  rod  of  Moses,  but  be- 
cause the  lifting  up  and  stretching  forth  of  the  hand  signified 
the  Divine  power,  it  became  a  representative  in  the  Jewish 
Church.  [6]  It  was  similar  when  Joshua  stretched  out  his 
javelin,  as  in  Joshua  : — 

And  Jehovah  said  unto  Joshua,  Stretch  out  the  javelin  that  is  in  thy 
hand  toward  Ai ;  for  I  will  give  it  into  thine  hand  ;  and  Joshua  stretched 
out  the  javelin  that  was  in  his  hand  toward  the  city,  and  they  entered 
into  the  city  and  took  it ;  for  Joshua  drew  not  back  his  hand,  wherewith 
he  stretched  out  the  javelin,  until  he  had  devoted  all  the  inhabitants  of 
Ai  (viii.  18,  26). 

From  this  it  is  also  evident  how  the  case  is  with  the  represent- 
atives that  were  the  externals  of  the  Jewish  Church;  and 
also  how  it  is  with  the  Word :  that  the  things  in  its  external 
sense  do  not  appear  to  be  representative  of  the  Lord  and  His 
kingdom,  as  here  the  stretching  forth  of  the  hand,  and  likewise 
all  the  other  things,  which  bear  no  appearance  of  being  repre- 
sentative while  the  mind  is  fixed  only  on  the  historic  details 
of  the  letter.  It  is  evident  also  how  far  the  Jews  had  fallen 
away  from  a  true  understanding  of  the  Word  and  of  the  rites 
of  the  church,  while  making  all  worship  consist  in  externals 
only,  even  to  the  extent  of  attributing  power  to  the  rod  of 
Moses  and  the  javelin  of  Joshua,  when  yet  there  was  no  more 
power  in  them  than  in  wood.  But  because  the  omnipotence 
of  the  Lord  was  signified,  and  this  was  understood  in  heaven 
when  they  stretched  forth  their  hand  or  rod,  the  signs  and 
miracles  followed.  [7]  So  too  it  was  when  Moses  on  the  top 
of  the  hill  held  up  his  hands,  and  Joshua  prevailed ;  and  when 
he  let  down  his  hands,  and  Joshua  was  overcome ;  and  there- 
fore they  stayed  up  his  hands  (Exod.  xvii.  9-13).  Thus  it  was 
that  hands  were  laid  upon  those  who  were  being  consecrated, 
as  on  the  Levites  by  the  people  (Num.  viii.  9,  10,  12),  and  on 
Joshua  by  Moses,  when  he  was  substituted  in  his  place  (xxvii. 
18,  23),  in  order  that  power  might  so  be  given.  Hence  also 
come  the  rites  still  observed  of  inauguration  and  benediction 
by  the  laying  on  of  hands.  To  what  extent  the  hand  signified 
and  represented  power,  is  evident  from  what  is  said  in  the 
Word  concerning  Uzzah  and  Jeroboam.  Concerning  Uzzah  it 


N.  878]  CHAPTER  VIII.  VER.  9  417 

is  said  that  he  put  forth  (his  hand)  to  the  ark  of  God,  and  took 
hold  of  it,  and  therefore  he  died  (2  Sam.  vi.  6,  7).  The  "ark" 
represented  the  Lord,  thus  all  that  is  holy  and  celestial.  Uz- 
zah's  putting  forth  (his  hand)  to  the  ark,  represented  man's 
own  power,  or  what  is  his  own ;  and  as  this  is  profane,  the 
word  "  hand"  is  understood,  but  is  not  expressed  in  the  original, 
lest  it  should  be  perceived  by  the  angels  that  such  a  profane 
thing  had  touched  what  is  holy.  [8]  And  because  Uzzah  put 
it  forth,  he  died.  Concerning  Jeroboam  it  is  said : — 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  king  heard  the  saying  of  the  man  of 
God,  which  he  cried  against  the  altar,  that  Jeroboam  put  forth  his  hand 
from  the  altar,  saying,  Lay  hold  on  him  ;  and  his  hand  which  he  put 
forth  against  him,  dried  up,  so  that  he  could  not  draw  it  back  again  to 
him  ;  and  he  said  unto  the  man  of  God,  Intreat  now  the  faces  of  Jehovah 
thy  God,  and  pray  for  me,  that  my  hand  may  be  restored  me  again  ;  and 
the  man  of  God  intreated  the  faces  of  Jehovah,  and  the  king's  hand  was 
restored  him  again,  and  became  as  it  was  before  (1  Kings  xiii.  4-6). 

Here  in  like  manner  by  "  putting  forth  the  hand"  is  signified 
man's  own  power,  or  his  Own,  which  is  profane,  and  that  it 
wished  to  violate  what  is  holy  by  putting  forth  the  hand  against 
the  man  of  God ;  wherefore  the  hand  was  dried  up ;  but  as 
Jeroboam  was  an  idolater  and  therefore  could  not  commit  prof- 
anation, his  hand  was  restored.  That  the  "  hand"  signifies  and 
represents  power,  is  evident  from  the  representatives  in  the 
world  of  spirits,  where  a  naked  arm  sometimes  comes  into  view, 
in  which  there  is  strength  enough  to  crush  one's  bones  and 
squeeze  their  inmost  marrow  to  nothing,  causing  such  terror  as 
to  melt  the  heart ;  and  in  fact  this  strength  is  actually  in  it. 
879.  Verses  10,  11.  And  he  stayed  yet  other  seven  days; 
and  again  he  sent  forth  the  dove  out  of  the  ark  ;  and  the  dove 
came  back  to  him  at  eventide  ;  and  lo  in  her  mouth  an  olive 
leaf  plucked  off ;  so  Noah  knew  that  the  waters  were  abated 
from  off  the  earth.  "  And  he  stayed  yet  other  seven  days," 
signifies  the  beginning  of  the  second  state  of  regeneration; 
"  seven  days"  signify  what  is  holy,  because  now  charity  is 
treated  of ;  "  and  again  he  sent  forth  the  dove  out  of  the  ark," 
signifies  a  state  of  receiving  the  goods  and  truths  of  faith ; 
"  and  the  dove  came  back  to  him  at  eventide,"  signifies  that 
little  by  little  they  began  to  appear ;  "  eventide"  means  as  in 
the  twilight  before  morning ;  "  and  lo  in  her  mouth  an  olive 
VOL.  I.— 27 


418  GENESIS  [N.  879 

leaf  plucked  off,"  signifies  some  little  of  the  truth  of  faith ; 
"a  leaf,"  is  truth;  "olive,"  the  good  of  charity;  "plucked 
off,"  means  that  the  truth  of  faith  is  therefrom;  "in  her 
mouth,"  means  that  it  was  shown ;  "  so  Noah  knew  that  the 
waters  were  abated  from  off  the  earth,"  signifies  that  these 
things  were  so  because  the  falsities  that  impeded  were  less 
abundant  than  before. 

880.  And  he  stayed  yet  other  seven  days.  That  this  signi- 
fies the  beginning  of  a  second  state  of  regeneration,  may  be 
evident  from  the  fact  that  the  time  is  thus  described  which 
intervenes  between  the  first  state  (described  in  the  eighth  and 
ninth  verses)  and  this  second  state  (described  here  in  the  tenth 
and  eleventh  verses).  In  order  to  maintain  the  historic  con- 
nection, this  intervening  time  is  expressed .  by  his  "  staying." 
How  the  case  is  with  the  second  state  of  regeneration  may  be 
seen  in  some  degree  from  what  has  been  said  and  shown  about 
the  first  state,  which  was  that  the  truths  of  faith  could  not 
yet  take  root,  because  falsities  hindered.  The  truths  of  faith 
are  first  rooted  when  man  begins  to  acknowledge  and  believe, 
and  they  are  not  rooted  before.  What  man  hears  from  the 
Word  and  holds  in  memory,  is  only  the  sowing ;  the  rooting 
does  by  no  means  begin  until  the  man  accepts  and  receives 
the  good  of  charity.  All  the  truth  of  faith  is  rooted  by  the 
good  of  faith,  that  is,  by  the  good  of  charity.  This  is  as  with 
seed  that  is  cast  into  the  ground  while  it  is  still  winter  and 
the  ground  is  cold ;  there  indeed  it  lies,  but  does  not  take  root. 
But  as  soon  as  the  heat  of  the  sun  warms  the  earth  in  the 
time  of  early  spring,  the  seed  begins  first  to  push  its  root 
within  itself,  and  afterwards  to  send  it  forth  into  the  ground. 
The  case  is  the  same  with  spiritual  seed  that  is  being  im- 
planted :  this  is  never  rooted  until  the  good  of  charity  as  it 
were  warms  it ;  then  for  the  first  time  it  pushes  its  root 
within  itself,  and  afterwards  sends  it  forth.  [2]  There  are 
three  things  in  man  which  concur  and  unite  together,  namely, 
the  Natural,  the  Spiritual,  and  the  Celestial.  His  natural 
never  receives  any  life  except  from  the  spiritual,  and  the 
spiritual  never  except  from  the  celestial,  and  the  celestial 
from  the  Lord  alone,  who  is  life  itself.  But  in  order  that  a 
still  fuller  idea  may  be  gained :  the  natural  is  the  receptacle 


N.  880]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VERS.  10,  11  419 

that  receives  the  spiritual,  or  is  the  vessel  into  which  the 
spiritual  is  poured ;  and  the  spiritual  is  the  receptacle  which 
receives,  or  is  the  vessel  into  which  is  poured,  the  celestial. 
Thus,  through  things  celestial,  life  comes  from  the  Lord. 
Such  is  the  influx.  The  celestial  is  all  the  good  of  faith ;  in 
the  spiritual  man  it  is  the  good  of  charity.  The  spiritual  is 
truth,  which  never  becomes  the  truth  of  faith  unless  there  is 
in  it  the  good  of  faith,  that  is,  the  good  of  charity,  in  which 
there  is  life  itself  from  the  Lord.  That  a  yet  clearer  idea  may 
be  gained :  man's  natural  is  what  does  the  Work  of  Charity, 
by  hand  or  by  mouth,  and  thus  by  the  organs  of  the  body ; 
but  this  work  in  itself  is  dead,  and  does  not  live  except  from 
the  spiritual  that  is  in  it ;  and  the  spiritual  does  not  live  ex- 
cept from  the  celestial,  which  lives  from  the  Lord.  From  this 
the  work  is  said  to  be  good,  since  there  is  nothing  good  except 
from  the  Lord.  [3]  This  being  the  case,  it  must  be  evident 
to  every  one  that  in  every  work  of  charity  the  work  itself  is 
nothing  but  a  material  affair,  and  that  the  work  is  living  is 
attributable  to  the  truth  of  faith  that  is  in  it ;  and  further 
that  neither  is  the  truth  of  faith  anything  but  an  inanimate 
affair,  and  that  the  truth  of  faith  is  living  is  attributable  to 
the  good  of  faith ;  moreover  that  the  good  of  faith  is  not  living 
except  from  the  Lord  only,  who  is  Good  itself  and  Life  itself. 
This  shows  why  the  celestial  angels  are  unwilling  to  hear 
about  faith,  and  are  still  more  unwilling  to  hear  about  work 
(see  n.  202).  For  the  celestial  angels  ascribe  to  love  both  the 
faith  and  the  work,  making  faith  to  be  from  love,  and  making 
even  the  work  of  faith  to  be  from  love,  so  that  with  them  both 
the  work  and  the  faith  vanish,  and  there  remains  nothing  but 
love  and  its  derivative  good,  and  within  their  love  is  the  Lord. 
In  consequence  of  having  ideas  so  heavenly  these  angels  are 
distinct  from  those  angels  who  are  called  spiritual,  their  very 
thought  (together  with  the  speech  that  is  derived  from  this 
thought)  being  much  more  incomprehensible  than  are  the 
thought  and  the  speech  of  the  spiritual  angels. 

881.  That  "seven"  signifies  what  is  holy,  because  charity 
is  now  treated  of,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  seven" 
(concerning  which  above,  n.  395,  716).  Moreover  "  seven"  is 
inserted  here  for  the  coherence  of  all  things  historically,  as 


420  GENESIS  [N.  881 

"  seven,"  and  "  seven  days,"  in  the  natural  sense  add  nothing 
but  a  certain  holiness,  which  this  second  state  has  from  the 
celestial,  that  is,  from  charity. 

882.  And  again  he  sent  forth  the  dove  out  of  the  ark.    That 
this  signifies  a  state  of  receiving  the  goods  and  truths  of  faith, 
is  evident  from  what  was  said  at  the  eighth  verse,  where  simi- 
lar words  occur,  but  with  the  difference  that  it  is  there  said, 
he  sent  forth  the  dove  "  from  him ;"  for  the  reason  there  ex- . 
plained,  that  at  that  time  he  did  what  was  true  and  good  from 
himself,  that  is,  he  believed  it  to  be  from  his  own  power,  which 
is  meant  by  the  words  "  from  him." 

883.  And  the  dove  came  back  to  him  at  eventide.     That  this 
signifies  that  little  by  little  the  goods  and  truths  of  faith  be- 
gan to  appear,  and  that  "  eventide"  means  as  in  the  twilight 
before  morning,  is  likewise  evident  from  what  has  been  said 
above,  at  the  eighth  verse ;  as  well  as  from  the  fact  that  the 
time  of  evening  is  here  mentioned.     In  regard  to  "  evening," 
see  what  was  said  under  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  where  it 
is  said  six  times,  "  there  was  evening  and  there  was  morning." 
"  Evening"  is  a  term  of  regeneration,  and  indeed  of  that  state 
of  it  when  the  man  is  still  in  shade,  or  when  as  yet  only  a 
little  light  is  apparent  to  him.    The  morning  itself  is  described 
in  the  thirteenth  verse  by  Noah's  removing  the  covering  of 
the  ark  and  seeing.     It  was  because  "  evening"  signified  the 
twilight    before  morning,  that  "evening"  is    so  many  times 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Jewish  Church.     For  the 
same  reason  also  they  began  their  sabbaths  and  their  feasts  in 
the  evening,  and  Aaron  was  commanded  to  light  the  holy  lamp 
in  the  evening  (Exod.  xxvii.  20,  21). 

884.  And  lo  in  her  mouth  an  olive  leaf  plucked  off.     That 
this  signifies  some  little  of  the  truth  of  faith ;  that  "  leaf" 
is  truth,  and  "  olive"  the  good  of  charity  ;  that  "  plucked  off" 
means  the  truth  of  faith  therefrom,  and  "  in  her  mouth"  that 
it  was  shown,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  an  olive-tree, 
and  is  obvious  from  the  very  words.    And  that  there  was  only 
a  little,  appears  from  there  being  only  a  leaf. 

885.  That  a  "leaf"  signifies  truth,  is  evident  from  many 
passages  in  the  Word  where  man  is  compared  to  a  tree,  or  is 
called  a  tree,  and  where  "  fruits"  signify  the  good  of  charity, 


N.  885]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VERS.   10,  11  421 

t* 

and  a  "  leaf"  the  truth  therefrom  (which  indeed  they  are  like) ; 
as  in  Ezekiel : — 

And  by  the  river  upon  the  bank  thereof,  on  this  side  and  on  that  side, 
there  cometh  up  every  tree  for  food,  whose  leaf  doth  not  fall,  neither  is 
the  fruit  consumed,  it  is  reborn  every  month,  because  the  waters  thereof 
issue  out  of  the  sanctuary  ;  and  the  fruit  thereof  shall  be  for  food,  and 
the  leaf  thereof  for  medicine  (xlvii.  12  ;  Rev.  xxii.  2). 

Here  "  tree"  denotes  the  man  of  the  church  in  whom  is  the  king- 
dom of  the  Lord ;  its  "  fruit,"  the  good  of  love  and  of  charity ; 
its  "  leaf,"  the  truths  therefrom,  which  serve  for  the  instruction 
of  the  human  race  and  for  their  regeneration,  for  which  reason 
the  leaf  is  said  to  be  for  "  medicine."  Again  : — 

Shall  He  not  pull  up  the  roots  thereof,  and  cut  off  the  fruit  thereof 
that  it  wither  ?  it  shall  wither  in  all  the  plucked  off  [leaves]  of  its 
shoot  (xvii.  9). 

This  is  said  of  the  vine,  that  is,  the  church,  in  a  state  of  vas- 
fcation,  whose  good,  which  is  the  "  fruit,"  and  whose  truth,  which 
is  the  "  plucked  off  [leaf]  of  the  shoot,"  thus  withers.  [2]  In 
Jeremiah : — 

Blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  Jehovah  ;  he  shall  be  like  a  tree 
planted  by  the  waters  ;  his  leaf  shall  be  green  ;  and  he  shall  not  be 
anxious  in  the  year  of  drought,  neither  shall  cease  from  yielding  fruit 
(xvii.  7,  8)  ; 

where  the  "  green  leaf"  denotes  the  truth  of  faith,  thus  the 
very  faith  which  is  from  charity.  So  in  David  (Ps.  i.  3) ;  and 
again  in  Jeremiah  : — 

There  shall  be  no  grapes  on  the  vine,  nor  figs  on  the  fig-tree,  and  the 
leaf  is  fallen  (viii.  13)  ; 

"  grapes  on  the  vine,"  denote  spiritual  good ;  "  figs  on  the  fig- 
tree,"  natural  good ;  "  leaf,"  truth,  which  in  this  case  is  "  fallen." 
Likewise  in  Isaiah  (xxxiv.  4).  The  same  is  meant  by  the  fig- 
tree  which  Jesus  saw  and  found  nothing  thereon  but  leaves, 
and  which  therefore  withered  away  (Matt.  xxi.  19,  20;  Mark 
xi.  13,  14,  20).  Specifically,  by  this  fig-tree  there  was  meant 
the  Jewish  Church,  in  which  there  was  no  longer  anything 
of  natural  good ;  and  the  religious  teaching  or  truth  that 
was  preserved  in  it,  are  the  "  leaves  ;"  for  a  vastated  church  is 
such  that  it  knows  truth,  but  is  not  willing  to  understand  it. 


422  GENESIS  [N.  885 

Similar  are  those  who  say  that  they  know  truth  or  the  things 
of  faith,  yet  have  nothing  of  the  good  of  charity :  they  are 
only  fig-leaves,  and  they  wither  away. 

886.  That  the  "  olive"  signifies  the  good  of  charity,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  signification  in  the  Word  not  only  of  an  "  olive," 
but  also  of  "  oil."  It  was  with  olive  oil,  together  with  spices, 
that  the  priests  and  kings  were  anointed,  and  it  was  with  olive 
oil  that  the  lamps  were  trimmed  (see  Exod.  xxx.  24;  xxvii. 
20).  The  reason  olive  oil  was  used  for  anointing  and  for  lamps 
was  that  it  represented  all  that  is  celestial,  and  therefore  all 
the  good  of  love  and  of  charity ;  for  the  oil  is  the  very  essence 
of  the  tree,  and  is  as  it  were  its  soul,  just  as  the  celestial,  or 
the  good  of  love  and  of  charity,  is  the  very  essence  or  the  very 
soul  of  faith ;  and  hence  oil  has  this  representation.  That 
"  oil"  signifies  what  is  celestial,  or  the  good  of  love  and  of 
charity,  may  be  confirmed  from  many  passages  of  the  Word ; 
but  as  it  is  the  olive-tree  that  is  mentioned  here,  we  will  merely 
present  some  passages  that  confirm  its  signification.  As  in 
Jeremiah : — 

Jehovah  called  thy  name  a  green  olive-tree,  fair  with  goodly  fruit  (xi. 
16), 

where  the  Most  Ancient  or  Celestial  Church  is  so  called,  which 
was  the  foundation  church  of  the  Jewish  Church ;  and  there- 
fore all  the  representatives  of  the  Jewish  Church  had  regard 
to  celestial  things,  and  through  these  to  the  Lord.  [2]  In 
Hosea : — 

His  branches  shall  spread,  and  his  honor  shall  be  as  the  olive-tree,  and 
his  smell  as  of  Lebanon  (xiv.  6), 

which  is  said  of  the  church  that  is  to  be  planted,  whose  honor 
is  the  "  olive-tree,"  that  is,  the  good  of  love  and  of  charity ; 
the  "  smell  as  of  Lebanon,"  being  the  affection  of  the  truth 
of  faith  therefrom.  "  Lebanon"  stands  for  its  cedars,  which 
signified  spiritual  things,  or  the  truths  of  faith.  In  Zechariah, 
speaking  of  the  lampstand  : — 

Two  olive-trees  by  it,  one  upon  the  right  side  of  the  bowl,  and  the 
other  upon  the  left  side  thereof  ;  these  are  the  two  sons  of  the  pure  oil 
that  stand  by  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth  (iv.  3,  11,  14). 

Here  the  "two  olive-trees"  denote  the  celestial  and  the  spirit- 
ual, thus  love,  which  is  of  the  celestial  church,  and  charity, 


N.  886]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VERS.  10,  11  423 

which  is  of  the  spiritual  church.  These  are  on  the  "right 
hand"  and  on  the  "  left  hand"  of  the  Lord.  The  "  lampstand" 
here  signifies,  as  in  the  Jewish  Church  it  represented,  the  Lord ; 
its  "  lamps"  signify  celestial  things  from  which  are  spiritual, 
as  from  a  flame  proceed  rays  of  light,  or  light.  In  David : — 

Thy  wife  shall  be  as  a  fruitful  vine  in  the  sides  of  thy  house :  thy  sons 
like  olive-plants  (Ps.  cxxviii.  3)  ; 

where  "  wife  as  a  vine,"  denotes  the  spiritual  church ;  "  sons" 
the  truths  of  faith,  which  are  called  "  olive-plants,"  because 
from  the  goods  of  charity.  In  Isaiah : — 

Yet  there  shall  be  left  therein  gleanings,  as  the  shaking  of  an  olive- 
tree,  two  or  three  berries  in  the  top  of  the  branch  (xvii.  6) ; 

where  the  subject  treated  of  is  the  remains  in  man ;  "  of  an 
olive-tree,"  denoting  celestial  remains.  In  Micah  : — 

Thou  shalt  tread  the  olive,  but  shalt  not  anoint  thee  with  oil ;  and  the 
vintage,  but  shalt  not  drink  the  wine  (vi.  16). 

And  in  Moses : — 

Thou  shalt  plant  vineyards  and  dress  them,  but  thou  shalt  not  drink 
of  the  wine ;  thou  shalt  have  olive-trees  throughout  all  thy  border,  but 
thou  shalt  not  anoint  thyself  with  the  oil  (Deut.  xxviii.  39,  40), 

where  the  subject  is  the  abundance  of  doctrinal  teachings  about 
the  goods  and  truths  of  faith,  which  by  reason  of  their  charac- 
ter, those  people  rejected.  From  these  passages  it  is  evident 
that  a  "  leaf"  signifies  the  truth  of  faith,  and  an  "  olive"  the 
good  of  charity ;  and  that  like  things  are  signified  by  the 
"olive-leaf"  which  the  dove  brought  in  her  mouth;  that  is, 
that  there  now  appeared  in  the  man  of  the  Ancient  Church 
some  little  of  the  truth  of  faith  from  the  good  of  charity. 

887.  That  the  waters  were  abated  from,  off  the  earth.  That 
this  signifies  that  these  things  were  so  because  the  falsities 
that  impeded  were  less  abundant  than  before,  is  evident  from 
the  signification  of  the  same  words  above,  at  the  eighth  verse. 
As  to  the  falsities  that  impeded  being  less  abundant  in  the 
second  state,  which  is  now  treated  of,  the  case  is  that  all  the 
falsities  which  man  has  acquired  remain,  so  that  not  one  is 
abolished,  as  before  said ;  but  when  man  is  being  regenerated, 
there  are  truths  implanted  to  which  the  falsities  are  bent  by 


424  GENESIS  [N.  887 

the  Lord,  and  thus  appear  as  if  shaken  off,  and  this  by  means 
of  the  goods  with  which  the  man  is  being  gifted. 

888.  Verse  12.  And  he  stayed  yet  other  seven  days,  and  sent 
forth  the  dove,  and  she  returned  not  again  unto  him  any  more. 
"  And  he  stayed  yet  other  seven  days,"  signifies  the  beginning 
of  a  third  state ;  "  seven  days,"  signify  what  is  holy ;  "  and 
sent  forth  the  dove,"  signifies  a  state  of  receiving  the  goods 
and  truths  of  faith ;  "  and  she  returned  not  again  unto  him 
any  more,"  signifies  a  free  state. 

889.  And  he  stayed  yet  other  seven  days.     That  this  signi- 
fies the  beginning  of  a  third  state,  and  that  "  seven"  signifies 
what  is  holy,  is  evident  from  what  has  just  now  been  said 
about  the  second  state,  where  similar  words  are  used. 

890.  And  sent  forth  the  dove.     That  this  signifies  a  state  of 
receiving  the  goods  and  truths  of  faith,  is  likewise  evident 
from  what  was  said  at  the  tenth  verse,  where  are  the  same 
words  and  the  same  meaning,  except  that  there  the  second  state, 
and  here  the  third  state,  is  treated  of.     The  third  state  is  de- 
scribed by  the  dove's  not  returning,  and  also  by  Noah's  re- 
moving the  covering  of  the  ark,  and  at  length  by  his  going 
forth  from  the  ark  because  the  face  of  the  ground  was  dried 
and  the  earth  was  dry. 

891.  And  she  returned  not  again  unto  him  any  more.     That 
this  signifies  a  free  state,  follows,  and  indeed  from  the  fact 
that  the  dove  (or  the  truth  of  faith)  and  the  other  birds,  as 
also  the  beasts,  and  Noah  himself,  were  no  longer  kept  in  the 
ark  on  account  of  the  waters  of  the  flood.     So  long  as  he  was 
in  the  ark,  he  was  in  a  state  of  slavery,  or  of  bondage  or  im- 
prisonment, tossed  about  by  the  waters  of  the  flood,  or  fal- 
sities.    This  state,  together  with  the  state  of  temptation,  is 
described  in  the  preceding  chapter  (verse  17),  by  the  waters 
increasing  and  bearing  up  the  ark,  and  by  the  ark  being  lifted 
up  above  the  earth ;  also  in  the  next  verse  by  the  waters  being 
strengthened  and  the  ark  going  on  the  face  of  the  waters. 
In  the  present  chapter  (verses  15  to  18)  the  man's  state  of  free- 
dom is  described  by  Noah  going  forth  from  the  ark,  and  all  that 
were  with  him,  the  dove  first  of  all  (that  is,  the  truth  of  faith 
from  good),  for  all  freedom  is  from  the  good  of  faith,  that  is; 
from  the  love  of  good. 


N.  892]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  12  425 

892.  When  man  has  been  regenerated,  he  then  for  the  first 
time  comes  into  a  state  of  freedom,  having  before  been  in  a 
state  of  slavery.  It  is  slavery  when  cupidities  and  falsities 
rule,  and  freedom  when  the  affections  of  good  and  truth  do  so. 
How  this  is,  no  man  ever  perceives  so  long  as  he  is  in  a  state 
of  slavery,  but  only  when  he  comes  into  a  state  of  freedom. 
When  he  is  in  a  state  of  slavery,  that  is,  when  cupidities  and 
falsities  rule,  the  man  who  is  under  subjection  to  them  sup- 
poses that  he  is  in  a  state  of  freedom ;  but  this  is  a  gross 
falsity,  for  he  is  then  carried  away  by  the  delight  of  the 
cupidities  and  their  pleasures,  that  is,  by  the  delight  of  his 
loves ;  and  because  this  is  done  by  delight,  it  appears  to  him 
to  be  freedom.  Every  man,  while  he  is  led  by  any  love,  and 
while  following  whithersoever  it  carries  him,  supposes  him- 
self to  be  free,  whereas  it  is  the  diabolical  spirits  in  whose 
company,  and  so  to  speak  torrent,  he  is,  that  are  carrying  him 
away.  This  the  man  supposes  to  be  the  greatest  freedom,  so 
much  so  that  he  believes  that  the  loss  of  this  state  would 
bring  him  into  a  life  most  wretched,  indeed  into  no  life  at  all ; 
and  he  believes  this  not  merely  because  he  is  unaware  of  the 
existence  of  any  other  life,  but  also  because  he  is  under  the 
impression  that  no  one  can  come  into  heaven  except  through 
miseries,  poverty,  and  the  loss  of  pleasures.  But  that  this  im- 
pression is  false  has  been  given  me  to  know  by  much  experi- 
ence, of  which  by  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter.  Man  never 
comes  into  a  state  of  freedom  until  he  has  been  regenerated, 
and  is  led  by  the  Lord  through  love  for  what  is  good  and  true. 
When  he  is  in  this  state,  then  for  the  first  time  can  he  know 
and  perceive  what  freedom  is,  because  he  then  knows  what 
life  is,  and  what  the  true  delight  of  life  is,  and  what  happi- 
ness is.  Before  this  he  does  not  even  know  what  good  is, 
sometimes  calling  that  the  greatest  good  which  is  the  greatest 
evil.  When  those  who  are  in  a  state  of  freedom  from  the 
Lord  see,  and  still  more  when  they  feel,  a  life  of  cupidities 
and  falsities,  they  abhor  it  as  do  those  who  see  hell  open 
before  their  eyes.  But  as  it  is  quite  unknown  to  very  many 
what  a  life  of  freedom  is,  it  may  be  here  briefly  defined.  A 
life  of  freedom,  or  freedom,  is  simply  and  solely  being  led  by 
the  Lord  But  as  there  are  many  things  which  hinder  man 


426  GENESIS  [N.  892 

from  being  able  to  believe  that  this  is  a  life  of  freedom,  both 
because  men  undergo  temptations,  which  take  place  in  order 
that  they  may  be  set  free  from  the  dominion  of  diabolical 
spirits ;  and  because  they  know  of  no  other  delight  than  that 
of  cupidities  from  the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world,  as  well  as 
from  their  having  conceived  a  false  opinion  in  regard  to  all 
things  of  the  heavenly  life,  so  that  they  cannot  be  taught  by 
description  so  well  as  by  living  experiences,  therefore,  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  mercy,  we  may  adduce  such  experiences  here- 
after. 

893.  Verse  13.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  six  hundred  and 
first  year,  in  the  beginning,  on  the  first  of  the  month,  that  the 
waters  were  dried  up  from  off  the  earth  ;  and  Noah  removed 
the  covering  of  the  ark,  and  saw,  and  behold,  the  faces  of  the 
ground  were  dry.  "  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  six  hundred 
and  first  year,"  signifies  a  last  boundary  [or  close]  ;  "  in  the 
beginning,  on  the  first  of  the  month,"  signifies  a  first  boundary 
[or  recommencement] ;  "  the  waters  were  dried  up  from  off 
the  earth,"  signifies  that  falsities  did  not  then  appear;  "and 
Noah  removed  the  covering  of  the  ark,  and  looked,"  signifies 
on  the  removal  of  falsities  there  was  the  light  of  the  truths  of 
faith,  which  he  acknowledged  and  in  which  he  had  faith ; 
"  and  behold  the  faces  of  the  ground  were  dry,"  signifies  re- 
generation. 

And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  six  hundred  and  first  year.  That 
this  signifies  a  last  boundary,  is  evident  from  the  signification 
of  the  number  "  six  hundred,"  concerning  which  in  the  pre- 
ceding chapter  (verse  6,  n.  737),  as  being  a  beginning,  and 
there  indeed  the  beginning  of  temptation,  its  end  being  here 
designated  by  the  same  number,  a  whole  year  having  passed, 
so  that  what  took  place  was  at  the  end  of  the  year,  and  there- 
fore it  is  added,  "  in  the  beginning,  on  the  first  of  the  month," 
by  which  is  signified  a  first  boundary  [or  recommencement]. 
Any  whole  period  is  designated  in  the  Word  as  a  "  day,"  a 
"  week,"  a  "  month,"  a  "  year,"  even  though  it  be  a  hundred  or 
a  thousand  years,  as  the  "  days"  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis, 
by  which  are  meant  periods  of  the  regeneration  of  the  man  of 
the  Most  Ancient  Church ;  for  "  day"  and  "  year"  in  the  in- 
ternal sense  signify  nothing  else  than  a  time,  and  because  they 


N.  893]  CHAPTER  VIH.  VER.  13  427 

signify  a  time  they  signify  a  state,  and  therefore  in  the  Word 
a  "  year"  is  continually  used  with  the  meaning  of  a  time  and 
a  state.  As  in  Isaiah  : — 

To  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  Jehovah,  and  the  day  of   ven- 
geance of  our  God  ;  to  comfort  all  that  mourn  (Lxi.  2), 

where  the  coining  of  the  Lord  is  treated  of.     Again : — 

For  the  day  of  vengeance  was  in  Mine  heart,  and  the  year  of  My  re- 
deemed had  come  (Ixiii.  4), 

where  also  "day"  and  "year"  denote  a  time  and  state.  In 
Habakkuk : — 

0  Jehovah,  revive  Thy  work  in  the  midst  of  the  years,  in  the  midst  of 
the  years  make  known  (iii.  2), 

where  "  years"  denote  a  time  and  state.     In  David : — 

Thou  art  God  Himself,  and  Thy  years  are  not  consumed  (Ps.  cii.  27), 

where  "years"  denote  times,  and  it  is  shown  that  with  God 
there  is  no  time.  So  in  the  passage  before  us,  the  year  of  the 
flood  by  no  means  signifies  any  particular  year,  but  a  time  not 
determined  by  fixed  years,  and  at  the  same  time  a  state.  (See 
what  has  been  said  before  about  "  years,"  n.  482,  487, 488, 493.) 

894.  In  the  beginning,  on  the  first  of  the  month.     That  this 
signifies  a  first  boundary  [or  recommencement],  is  now  evi- 
dent from  what  has  been  shown.     What  is  further  involved 
in  these  words  is  too  deeply  hidden  to  be  described  any  fur- 
ther than  that  there  is  no  definite  period  of  time  within  which 
man's  regeneration  is  completed,  so  that  he  can  say,  "  I  am  now 
perfect ;"  for  there  are  illimitable  states  of  evil  and  falsity 
with   every  man,  not  only  simple  states  but  also   states    in 
many  ways  compounded,  which  must  be  so  far  shaken  off  as 
no  longer  to  appear,  as  said  above.     In  some  states  the  man 
may  be  said  to  be  more  perfect,  but  in  very  many  others  not 
so.     Those  who  have  been  regenerated  in  the  life  of  the  body 
and  have  lived  in  faith  in  the  Lord  and  in  charity  toward  the 
neighbor,  are  continually  being  perfected  in  the  other  life. 

895.  The  waters  were  dried  up  from  off  the  earth.     That 
this  signifies  that  falsities  did  not  then  appear,  is  evident  from 
what  has  been  said.    Specifically  it  signifies  that  falsities  have 
been  separated  from  the  things  of  the  will  of  the  man  of  this 


428  GENESIS  [N.  895 

church.  The  "  earth"  here  signifies  man's  will,  which  is  nothing 
but  cupidity  ;  wherefore  it  is  said  that  "  the  waters  were  dried 
up  from  off  the  earth."  His  "  ground,"  as  said  above,  is  in  his 
intellectual  part,  in  which  truths  are  sown — never  in  his  will 
part,  which  in  the  spiritual  man  is  separate  from  the  intel- 
lectual ;  wherefore  it  is  said  afterwards  in  this  verse  that  the 
face  of  the  "  ground"  was  dried.  With  the  man  of  the  Most 
Ancient  Church  there  was  ground  in  his  will,  in  which  the 
Lord  sowed  goods,  and  then  from  the  goods  the  man  could  know 
and  perceive  truth,  or  from  love  could  have  faith;  but  if  this 
method  were  followed  now,  man  could  not  but  perish  eternally, 
for  his  will  is  wholly  corrupted.  How  the  case  is  with  this 
sowing  in  man's  will  part,  or — as  is  the  case  now — in  his  in- 
tellectual part,  is  evident  from  considering  that  revelations 
were  made  to  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  by  means 
of  which  he  from  his  infancy  was  initiated  into  a  perception 
of  goods  and  truths,  but  as  those  revelations  were  sown  in  his 
will  part,  he  without  new  instruction  perceived  innumerable 
things,  so  that  from  one  general  principle  he  knew  from  the 
Lord  the  particulars  and  the  singulars  which  now  men  have 
to  learn  and  so  know,  and  yet  after  all  they  can  know  scarcely 
a  thousandth  part  of  them.  For  the  man  of  the  spiritual  church 
knows  nothing  but  what  he  learns,  and  what  he  knows  in  this 
way  he  retains  and  believes  to  be  true.  Indeed  even  if  he 
learns  what  is  false,  and  this  is  impressed  on  his  mind  as  true, 
he  believes  it,  because  he  has  no  other  perception  than  that  it 
is  so,  for  so  is  he  persuaded.  Those  who  have  conscience  have 
from  conscience  a  certain  dictate,  but  no  other  than  that  a 
thing  is  true  because  they  have  so  heard  and  learned.  This  is 
what  forms  their  conscience,  as  is  evident  from  those  who  have 
a  conscience  of  what  is  false. 

896.  And  Noah  removed  the  covering  of  the  ark  and  saiv. 
That  this  signifies,  on  the  removal  of  falsities  the  light  of  the 
truths  of  faith,  which  he  acknowledged  and  in  which  he  had 
faith,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  removing  the  cover- 
ing," as  being  to  take  away  what  obstructs  the  light.  As  by 
the  "  ark"  is  signified  the  man  of  the  Ancient  Church  who  was 
to  be  regenerated,  by  the  "  covering"  nothing  else  can  be  sig- 
nified than  what  obstructs  or  prevents  from  seeing  heaven,  or 


N.  896]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  13  429 

the  light.  What  prevented  was  falsity ;  wherefore  it  is  said 
that  he  "  saw."  In  the  Word  "  to  see"  signifies  to  understand 
and  to  have  faith.  Here  it  means  that  the  man  acknowledged 
truths  and  had  faith  in  them.  It  is  one  thing  to  know  truths, 
and  quite  another  to  acknowledge  them,  and  still  another  to 
have  faith  in  them.  To  know  is  the  first  thing  of  regeneration, 
to  acknowledge  is  the  second,  to  have  faith  is  the  third.  What 
difference  there  is  between  knowing,  acknowledging,  and  having 
faith  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  the  worst  men  may  know, 
and  yet  not  acknowledge,  like  the  Jews  and  those  who  attempt 
to  destroy  doctrinal  things  by  specious  reasoning;  and  that 
unbelievers  may  acknowledge,  and  in  certain  states  preach, 
confirm,  and  persuade  with  zeal ;  but  none  can  have  faith  who 
are  not  believers.  [2]  Those  who  have  faith,  know,  acknowl- 
edge, and  believe,  they  have  charity,  and  they  have  conscience  ; 
and  therefore  faith  can  never  be  predicated  of  any  one,  that  is, 
it  cannot  be  said  that  he  has  faith,  unless  these  things  are  true 
of  him.  This  then  it  is  to  be  regenerate.  Merely  to  know 
what  is  of  faith  is  of  a  man's  memory,  without  the  concurrence 
of  his  reason.  To  acknowledge  what  is  of  faith  is  a  rational 
consent  induced  by  certain  causes  and  for  the  sake  of  certain 
ends.  But  to  have  faith  is  of  conscience,  that  is,  of  the  Lord 
working  through  conscience.  This  is  abundantly  evident  from 
those  who  are  in  the  other  life.  Those  who  only  know  are 
many  of  them  in  hell.  Those  who  acknowledge  are  also  many 
of  them  there,  because  their  acknowledgment  in  the  life  of  the 
body  has  been  in  certain  states  only,  and  when  in  the  other 
life  they  perceive  that  what  they  had  preached,  taught,  and 
persuaded  others  is  true,  they  wonder  greatly  and  acknowledge 
it  only  when  it  is  recalled  to  their  memory  as  what  they  had 
preached.  But  those  who  have  had  faith  are  all  in  heaven. 

897.  In  this  place,  the  subject  being  the  man  of  the  Ancient 
Church  when  regenerated,  by  "  seeing"  is  signified  acknowl- 
edging and  having  faith.  That  "  seeing"  has  this  signification 
is  evident  from  the  Word ;  as  in  Isaiah : — 

Ye  looked  not  unto  the  Maker  thereof,  and  the  Former  thereof  from 
afar  ye  have  not  seen  (xxii.  11), 

speaking  of  the  city  of  Zion ;  "  not  to  see  the  Former  from 
afar"  is  not  to  acknowledge,  still  less  to  have  faith.  Again : — 


430  GENESIS  [N.  897 

Make  the  heart  of  this  people  fat,  and  make  their  ears  heavy,  and 
smear  over  their  eyes,  lest  they  see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear  with  their 
ears,  and  their  heart  should  understand,  and  turn  again,  and  be  healed 
(vi.  10)  ; 

"to  see  with  their  eyes,"  denotes  acknowledging  and  having 
faith.  Again : — 

The  people  that  walked  in  darkness  have  seen  a  great  light  (ix.  2), 

said  of  the  Gentiles  who  received  faith ;  as  it  is  here  said  of 
Noah,  that  he  "  removed  the  covering  and  saw."  Again : — 

And  hi  that  day  shall  the  deaf  hear  the  words  of  the  Book,  and  the 
eyes  of  the  blind  shall  see  out  of  thick  darkness  and  out  of  darkness 
(xxix.  18), 

speaking  of  the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles  to  faith ;  "  to  see" 
denotes  to  receive  faith.  Again  : — 

Hear,  ye  deaf  ;  and  look,  ye  blind,  that  ye  may  see  (xlii.  18), 
where  the  meaning  is  similar.     In  Ezekiel : — 

Who  have  eyes  to  see,  and  see  not,  who  have  ears  to  hear,  and  hear 
not ;  for  they  are  a  rebellious  house  (xii.  2), 

meaning  who  can  understand,  acknowledge,  and  have  faith, 
and  yet  will  not.  That  "  to  see"  signifies  to  have  faith,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  representation  of  the  Lord  by  the  brazen  ser- 
pent in  the  wilderness,  on  seeing  which  all  were  healed  ;  as  in 
Moses : — 

Make  thee  a  fiery  serpent,  and  set  it  upon  a  standard  ;  and  it  shall 
come  to  pass  that  every  one  that  is  bitten,  when  he  seeth  it,  shall  live  ; 
and  it  came  to  pass  that  if  a  serpent  had  bitten  any  man,  when  he  looked 
unto  the  serpent  of  brass,  he  lived  (Num.  xxi.  8,  9)  ; 

from  which  passage  every  one  can  see  that  "to  see"  signifies 
faith,  for  what  would  seeing  avail  in  this  case,  except  as  a  rep- 
resentative of  faith  in  the  Lord?  Hence  also  it  is  evident 
that  Reuben,  Jacob's  firstborn,  being  so  called  from  "  seeing," 
signifies  in  the  internal  sense  faith.  (See  what  was  said  be- 
fore about  the  firstborn  of  the  church,  n.  352,  367.) 

898.  And  behold,  the  faces  of  the  ground  were  dry.  That 
this  signifies  regeneration,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of 
"  ground,"  as  being  the  man  of  the  church,  which  has  been 
repeatedly  shown  above.  The  face  of  the  ground  is  said  to 
be  "  dry''  when  falsities  no  longer  appear. 


N.  899]  CHAPTER  VHI.  VER.  14  431 

899.  Verse   14.    In  the  second  month,   on   the   seven   and 
twentieth  day  of  the  month,  was  the  earth  dry.     "  The  second 
month,"  signifies  the  whole  state  before  regeneration ;  "  on  the 
seven  and  twentieth  day  of  the  month,"  signifies  what  is  holy ; 
"  was  the  earth  dry,"  signifies  that  he  was  regenerate.     These 
words  are  a  conclusion  to  what  goes  before,  and  a  beginning 
to  what  follows. 

900.  In  the  second  month.     That  this  signifies  the  whole 
state  before  regeneration,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of 
"  two"  in  the  Word.     "  Two"  signifies  the  same  as  "  six,"  that 
is,  the  combat  and  labor  which   precede  regeneration ;   thus 
here  the  whole  state  which  precedes  the  completion  of  man's 
regeneration.    Periods  of  time,  great  and  small,  are  commonly 
distinguished  in  the  Word  as  "  threes"  or  "  sevens,"  and  are 
called    "  days,"    "  weeks,"    "  months,"    "  years,"    or    "  ages." 
"  Three"  and  "  seven"  are  holy,  "  two"  and  "  six,"  which  pre- 
cede, are  not  holy,  but  are  relatively  profane,  as  before  shown 
(n.  720).     "  Three"  and  "  seven"  are  both  sacred  for  the  addi- 
tional reason  that  they  are  predicated  of  the  last  judgment, 
which  is  to  come  on  the  "  third,"  or  on  the  "  seventh"  day 
The  last  judgment  comes  to  every  one  when  the  Lord  comes, 
both  in  general  and  in  particular.     For  example,  there  was  a 
last  judgment  when  the  Lord  came  into  the  world,  and  there 
will  be  a  last  judgment  when  He  shall  come  in  glory;  there  is 
a  last  judgment  when  He  comes  to  any  man  whatever  in  par- 
ticular ;  and  there  is  also  a  last  judgment  for  every  one  when 
he  dies.     This  last  judgment  is  what  is  meant  by  the  "  third 
day"  and  the  "  seventh  day,"  which  is  holy  to  those  who  have 
lived  well,  but  not  holy  to  those  who  have  lived  ill.    Thus  the 
"third  day,"  or  the  "seventh  day,"  is  predicated  as  well  of 
those  who  are  adjudged  to  death,  as  of  those  who  are  adjudged 
to  life ;  and  therefore  these  numbers  signify  what  is  not  holy 
to  those  who  are  adjudged  to  death,  and  what  is  holy  to  those 
who  are  adjudged  to  life.     "  Two"  and  "  six,"  preceding  three 
and  seven,  have  relation  to  and  signify  in  general  all  that  state 
which  precedes.      This  is  the  signification  of  "two"  and  of 
"  six,"  in  application  to  any  subject,  and  to  any  matter  that 
is  the  subject  of  which  they  are  predicated,  as  is  more  clearly 
evident  from  what  now  follows  about  the  number  twenty-seven. 


432  GENESIS  [N.  901 

901.  That  the  "seven  and  twentieth  day"  signifies  what  is 
holy,  is  evident  from  what  has  just  been  said,  since  it  is  com- 
posed of  three  multiplied  by  itself  twice.  Three  multiplied 
by  itself  is  nine,  and  nine  multiplied  again  by  three  is  twenty- 
seven.  In  "  twenty -seven"  therefore  three  is  the  ruling  num- 
ber. Thus  did  the  most  ancient  people  compute  their  numbers, 
and  understood  by  them  nothing  but  actual  things  (res).  That 
"  three"  has  the  same  signification  as  "  seven,"  is  evident  from 
what  has  been  just  said.  There  is  a  hidden  reason  why  the 
Lord  rose  on  the  third  day.  The  Lord's  resurrection  itself  in- 
volves all  holiness,  and  the  resurrection  of  all,  and  therefore 
in  the  Jewish  Church  this  number  became  representative,  and 
in  the  Word  is  holy ;  just  as  it  is  in  heaven,  where  no  numbers 
are  thought  of,  but  instead  of  "  three"  and  "  seven"  they  have 
a  general  holy  idea  of  the  resurrection  and  of  the  coming  of 
the  Lord.  [2]  That  "three"  and  "seven"  signify  what  is  holy, 
is  evident  from  the  following  passages  in  the  Word.  In 
Moses : — 

He  that  toucheth  the  dead  shall  be  unclean  seven  days  ;  the  same  shall 
expiate  himself  therefrom  on  the  third  day,  and  on  the  seventh  day  he 
shall  be  clean ;  but  if  he  expiate  not  himself  on  the  third  day,  on  the 
seventh  day  he  shall  not  be  clean.  He  that  toucheth  one  slain  with  a 
sword,  or  a  dead  body,  or  a  bone  of  a  man,  or  a  grave,  shall  be  unclean 
seven  days  ;  the  clean  shall  sprinkle  upon  the  unclean  on  the  third  day, 
and  on  the  seventh  day  ;  and  on  the  seventh  day  he  shall  expiate  him, 
and  he  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  water,  and  shall  be 
clean  at  even  (Num.  xix.  11,  12,  16,  19). 

That  these  things  are  representative,  or  that  the  outward  things 
signify  internal  ones,  is  very  evident,  as  that  one  would  be 
unclean  who  had  touched  a  dead  body,  one  slain,  a  bone  of  a 
man,  a  grave.  All  these  things  signify  in  the  internal  sense 
things  proper  to  man,  which  are  dead  and  profane.  So  also 
the  washing  in  water  and  being  clean  at  even  were  representa- 
tive, and  also  the  third  day  and  the  seventh  day,  which  signify 
what  is  holy  because  on  those  days  he  was  to  be  purified  and 
would  thus  be  clean.  [3]  In  like  manner  concerning  those 
who  returned  from  battle  against  the  Midianites  : — 

Encamp  ye  without  the  camp  seven  days  ;  whosoever  hath  slain  a  soul, 
and  whosoever  hath  touched  one  slain,  ye  shall  expiate  yourselves  on  the 
third  day  and  on  the  seventh  day  (Num.  xxxi.  19). 


N.  901]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  14  433 

If  this  were  but  a  ritual,  and  the  third  day  and  the  seventh 
were  not  representative  and  significative  of  holiness,  or  of  ex- 
piation, it  would  be  a  dead  thing,  like  that  which  is  without 
a  cause,  and  like  a  cause  without  an  end,  or  like  a  thing  sepa- 
rated from  its  cause,  and  this  cause  from  its  end,  and  thus  in 
no  way  Divine.  That  the  "  third  day"  was  representative,  and 
thus  significative,  of  what  is  holy,  is  very  evident  from  the 
coming  of  the  Lord  upon  Mount  Sinai,  for  which  it  was  thus 
commanded : — 

And  Jehovah  said  unto  Moses,  Go  unto  the  people,  and  sanctify  them 
to-day  and  to-morrow,  and  let  them  wash  their  garments,  and  be  ready 
against  the  third  day  ;  for  on  the  third  day  Jehovah  will  come  down  in 
the  sight  of  all  the  people  upon  Mount  Sinai  (Exod.  xix.  10,  11,  14,  16). 

[4]  For  a  similar  reason  Joshua  crossed  the  Jordan  on  the 
third  day  : — 

Joshua  commanded,  Pass  through  the  midst  of  the  camp,  and  com- 
mand the  people,  saying,  Prepare  you  victuals,  for  within  three  days  ye 
are  to  pass  over  this  Jordan,  to  go  in  to  inherit  the  land  (Josh.  i.  11  ; 
iii.  2). 

The  crossing  of  the  Jordan  represented  the  introduction  of 
the  sons  of  Israel,  that  is,  of  those  who  are  regenerate,  into 
the  kingdom  of  the  Lord ;  Joshua,  who  led  them  in,  repre- 
sented the  Lord ;  and  this  was  done  on  the  third  day.  Because 
the  third  day  was  holy,  as  was  the  seventh,  it  was  ordained 
that  the  year  of  tithes  should  be  the  third  year,  and  that  then 
the  people  should  show  themselves  holy  by  works  of  charity 
(Deut.  xxvi.  12-15) ;  the  "  tithes"  represented  remains,  which 
because  they  are  of  the  Lord  alone,  are  holy.  That  Jonah  was 
three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  bowels  of  the  fish  (Jonah  i. 
17)  manifestly  represented  the  burial  and  resurrection  of  the 
Lord  on  the  third  day  (Matt.  xii.  40).  [5]  That  "three"  sig- 
nifies that  holy  thing  is  evident  also  in  the  Prophets,  as  in 
Hosea : — 

After  two  days  will  Jehovah  revive  us  ;  on  the  third  day  He  will  raise 
us  up,  that  we  may  live  before  Him  (vi.  2), 

where  also  the  "  third  day"  plainly  denotes  the  coming  of  the 
Lord  and  His  resurrection.  In  Zechariah  : — 

It  shall  come  to  pass  that  in  all  the  land  two  parts  therein  shall  be 
cut  off  and  expire,  but  the  third  shall  be  left  therein,  and  I  will  bring 
VOL.  I.— 28 


434  GENESIS  [N.  901 

the  third  part  through  the  fire,  and  will  refine  them  as  silver  is  refined, 
and  will  try  them  as  gold  is  tried  (xiii.  8,  9), 

where  the  "third  part,"  like  "three,"  denotes  what  is  holy. 
The  same  is  involved  by  the  third  part  as  by  three,  and  also 
by  the  third  part  of  the  third  part,  as  in  the  present  passage, 
for  three  is  the  third  of  the  third  of  twenty-seven. 

902.  That  the  earth's  being  "  dry"  signifies  that  the  man 
was  regenerate,  is  evident  from  what  was  said  before  about  the 
waters  being  dried  up  from  off  the  earth,  and  the  face  of  the 
ground  being  dried,  in  verses  7  and  13. 

903.  Verses  15,  16.  And  God  spake  unto  Noah,  saying,  Go 
forth  from,  the  ark,  thou  and  thy  wife,  and  thy  sons,  and  thy 
sons'  wives  with  thee.     "  And  God  spake  unto  Noah,"  signifies 
the  presence  of  the  Lord  with  the  man  of  this  church ;  "  Go 
forth  from  the  ark,"  signifies  freedom ;  "  thou  and  thy  wife," 
signifies  the  church ;  "  and  thy  sons  and  thy  sons'  wives  with 
thee,"  signifies  the  truths,  and  the  goods  conjoined  with  truths, 
that  were  in  him. 

904.  And  God  spake  unto  Noah.     That  this  signifies  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  with  the  man  of  this  church,  is  evident 
from  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word.     The  Lord  speaks  with 
every  man,  for  whatever  a  man  wills  and  thinks  that  is  good 
and  true,  is  from  the  Lord.    There  are  with  every  man  at  least 
two  evil  spirits  and  two  angels.     The  evil  spirits  excite  his 
evils,  and  the  angels  inspire  things  that  are  good  and  true. 
Every  good  and  true  thing  inspired  by  the  angels  is  of  the 
Lord ;  thus  the  Lord  is  continually  speaking  with  man,  but 
quite  differently  with  one  man  than  with  another.     With  those 
who  suffer  themselves  to  be  led  away  by  evil  spirits,  the  Lord 
speaks  as  if  absent,  or  from  afar,  so  that  it  can  scarcely  be  said 
that  He  is  speaking ;  but  with  those  who  are  being  led  by  the 
Lord,  He  speaks  as  more  nearly  present ;  which  may  be  suffi- 
ciently evident  from  the  fact  that  no  one  can  ever  think  any- 
thing good  and  true  except  from  the  Lord.     [2]  The  presence 
of  the  Lord  is  predicated  according  to  the  state  of  love  toward 
the  neighbor  and  of  faith  in  which  the  man  is.    In  love  toward 
the  neighbor  the  Lord  is  present,  because  He  is  in  all  good ; 
but  not  so  much  in  faith,  so  called,  without  love.     Faith  with- 
out love  and  charity  is  a  separated  or  disjoined  thing.  Wherever 


N.  904]  CHAPTER   VTII.  VERS.  15,  16  435 

there  is  conjunction  there  must  be  a  conjoining  medium,  which 
is  nothing  else  than  love  and  charity,  as  must  be  evident  to  all 
from  the  fact  that  the  Lord  is  merciful  to  every  one,  and  loves 
every  one,  and  wills  to  make  every  one  happy  to  eternity.  He 
therefore  who  is  not  in  such  love  that  he  is  merciful  to  others, 
loves  them,  and  wills  to  make  them  happy,  cannot  be  conjoined 
with  the  Lord,  because  he  is  unlike  Him  and  not  at  all  in  His 
image.  To  look  to  the  Lord  by  faith,  as  they  say,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  hate  the  neighbor,  is  not  only  to  stand  afar  off, 
but  is  also  to  have  the  abyss  of  hell  between  themselves  and 
the  Lord,  into  which  they  would  fall  if  they  should  approach 
nearer,  for  hatred  to  the  neighbor  is  that  infernal  abyss  which 
is  between.  [3]  The  presence  of  the  Lord  is  first  possible  with 
a  man  when  he  loves  the  neighbor.  The  Lord  is  in  love ;  and 
so  far  as  a  man  is  in  love,  so  far  the  Lord  is  present ;  and  so 
far  as  the  Lord  is  present,  so  far  He  speaks  with  the  man.  Man 
knows  no  otherwise  than  that  he  thinks  from  himself,  whereas 
he  has  not  a  single  idea,  nor  even  the  least  bit  of  an  idea,  from 
himself ;  but  he  has  what  is  evil  and  false  through  evil  spirits 
from  hell,  and  what  is  good  and  true  through  angels  from  the 
Lord.  Such  is  the  influx  with  man,  from  which  is  his  life  and 
the  intercourse  of  his  soul  with  the  body.  From  these  things 
it  is  evident  what  is  meant  by  the  words  "  God  spake  unto 
Noah."  His  "  saying"  to  any  one  means  one  thing  (as  Gen.  i. 
29  ;  iii.  13,  14, 17 ;  iv.  6,  9,  15 ;  vi.  13 ;  vii.  1),  and  His  «  speak- 
ing" means  another.  Here,  His  speaking  to  Noah  denotes 
being  present,  because  the  subject  is  now  the  regenerated  man, 
who  is  gifted  with  charity. 

905.  Go  forth  from  the  ark.  That  this  signifies  freedom,  is 
evident  from  what  has  been  said  before,  and  from  the  connec- 
tion itself  of  the  context.  So  long  as  Noah  was  in  the  ark  and 
surrounded  with  the  waters  of  the  flood,  the  signification  was 
that  he  was  in  captivity,  that  is,  he  was  tossed  about  by  evils 
and  falsities,  or  what  is  the  same  thing,  by  evil  spirits,  from 
whom  is  the  combat  of  temptation.  Hence  it  follows  that  to 
"  go  forth  from  the  ark"  signifies  freedom.  The  presence  of 
the  Lord  involves  freedom,  the  one  following  the  other.  The 
more  present  the  Lord,  the  more  free  the  man ;  that  is,  the 
more  a  man  is  in  the  love  of  good  and  truth,  the  more  freely 


436  GENESIS  [N.  905 

he  acts.  Such  is  the  influx  of  the  Lord  through  the  angels. 
But  on  the  other  hand,  the  influx  of  hell  through  evil  spirits  is 
forcible,  and  impetuous,  striving  to  dominate  ;  for  such  spirits 
breathe  nothing  but  the  utter  subjugation  of  the  man,  so  that 
he  may  be  nothing,  and  that  they  may  be  everything ;  and  when 
they  are  everything  the  man  is  one  of  them,  and  scarcely  even 
that,  for  in  their  eyes  he  is  a  mere  nobody.  Therefore  when 
the  Lord  is  liberating  the  man  from  their  dominion  and  from 
their  yoke  there  arises  a  combat ;  but  when  the  man  has  been 
liberated,  that  is,  regenerated,  he,  through  the  ministry  of 
angels,  is  led  by  the  Lord  so  gently  that  there  is  nothing  what- 
ever of  yoke  or  of  dominion,  for  he  is  led  by  means  of  his  de- 
lights and  his  happinesses,  and  is  loved  and  esteemed.  This 
is  what  the  Lord  teaches  in  Matthew : — 

My  yoke  is  easy,  and  My  burden  is  light  (xi.  30), 

and  is  the  reverse  of  a  man's  state  when  under  the  yoke  of  evil 
spirits,  who,  as  just  said,  account  the  man  as  nothing,  and,  if 
they  were  able,  would  torment  him  every  moment.  This  it  has 
been  given  me  to  know  by  much  experience,  concerning  which, 
of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 

906.  That  "  thou  and  thy  wife"  signifies  the  church,  is  in 
like  manner  evident  from  the  connection,  as  also  that  "  thy 
sons  and  thy  sons'  wives  with  thee,"  signifies  the  truths,  and 
the  goods  conjoined  with  truths,  that  were  in  him.   That  "  thou" 
signifies  the  man  of  the  church,  is  evident,  and  that  his  "  wife" 
signifies  the  church,  and  his  "  sons"  truths,  and  his  "  sons'  wives" 
goods  conjoined  with  the  truths,  has  been  shown  repeatedly  be- 
fore and  need  not  be  dwelt  on  here. 

907.  Verse  IT.    Every  wild  animal  that  is  with  thee  of  all 
flesh,  as  to  fowl,  and  as  to  beast,  and  as  to  every  creeping  thing 
that  creepeth  upon  the  earth,  bring  forth  with  thee,  that  they 
may  spread  themselves  over  the  earth,  and  be  fruitful,  and  mul- 
tiply upon  the  earth.     "  Every  wild  animal  that  is  with  thee 
of  all  flesh,"  signifies  all  that  was  made  living  in  the  man  of 
this  church ;  "  fowl"  signifies  here  as  before  the  things  of  his 
understanding ;  "  beast"  the  things  of  his  will,  which  are  both 
of  the  internal  man ;    "  every  creeping  thing  that   creepeth 
upon  the  earth,"  signifies  the  like  corresponding  things  in  the 


N.  907]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  17  437 

external  man ;  "  bring  forth  with  thee,"  signifies  their  state  of 
freedom ;  "  that  they  may  spread  themselves  over  the  earth," 
signifies  the  operation  of  the  internal  man  upon  the  external ; 
"  and  be  fruitful/'  signifies  increasings  of  good ;  "  and  multi- 
ply," signifies  increasings  of  truth ;  "  upon  the  earth,"  signifies 
in  the  external  man. 

908.  Every  wild  animal  that  is  with  thee  of  all  flesh.  That 
this  signifies  all  that  was  made  living  in  the  man  of  this 
church,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  "  wild  animal"  is  predi- 
cated of  Noah,  or  of  the  man  of  this  church,  now  regenerated, 
and  manifestly  refers  to  what  follows,  namely,  fowl,  beast,  and 
creeping  thing  ;  for  it  is  said,  "  every  wild  animal  that  is  with 
thee  of  all  flesh,  as  to  fowl,  and  as  to  beast,  and  as  to  every 
creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth."  The  word  in 
the  original  tongue  here  rendered  "  wild  animal"  signifies 
properly  life,  or  what  is  living ;  but  in  the  Word  it  is  used 
both  for  what  is  living  and  for  what  is  as  it  were  not  living, 
or  a  wild  animal ;  so  that  unless  one  knows  the  internal  sense 
of  the  Word,  he  is  sometimes  unable  to  see  what  is  meant. 
The  reason  of  this  twofold  meaning  is  that  the  man  of  the 
Most  Ancient  Church,  in  his  humiliation  before  the  Lord,  ac- 
knowledged himself  as  not  living,  not  even  as  a  beast,  but  only 
as  a  wild  animal ;  for  those  people  knew  man  to  be  such  when 
regarded  in  himself,  or  in  what  is  his  own.  Hence  this  same 
word  means  what  is  living,  and  also  means  "  wild  animal." 
[2]  That  it  means  "  what  is  living"  is  evident  in  David : — 

Thy  wild  animal  shall  dwell  therein  [that  is,  in  God's  inheritance]  ; 
Thou,  O  God,  wilt  confirm  the  poor  with  Thy  good  (Ps.  Ixviii.  10). 

Here  by  "  wild  animal,"  because  he  shall  dwell  in  the  inheri- 
tance of  God,  no  other  is  meant  than  the  regenerated  man ; 
and  so  here,  as  in  the  verse  we  are  considering,  what  is  living 
in  this  man  is  meant.  Again  : — 

Every  wild  animal  of  the  forest  is  Mine,  and  the  beasts  upon  the 
mountains  where  thousands  are  ;  I  know  all  the  fowls  of  the  mountains, 
and  the  wild  animals  of  My  field  are  with  Me  (Ps.  1.  10,  11). 

Here  "  the  wild  animals  of  My  field  with  Me,"  or  with  God, 
denote  the  regenerated  man,  thus  what  is  living  in  him.  In 
Ezekiel : — - 


438  GENESIS  [N.  908 

All  the  fowls  of  the  heavens  made  their  nests  in  his  boughs,  and  under 
his  branches  all  the  wild  animals  of  the  field  brought  forth  (xxxi.  6), 

where  the  spiritual  church  is  signified,  as  implanted,  and  what 
is  living,  in  the  man  of  that  church.  In  Hosed : — 

In  that  day  will  I  make  a  covenant  for  them  with  the  wild  animal  of 
the  field  and  with  the  fowl  of  the  heavens  (ii.  18), 

where  those  who  are  to  be  regenerated  are  meant,  with  whom 
a  covenant  is  to  be  made.  Indeed,  so  fully  does  "  wild  animal" 
signify  "  what  is  living,"  that  the  cherubim,  or  angels,  seen  by 
Ezekiel,  are  called  the  "  four  wild  animals,"  or  "  living  creatures" 
(Ezek.  i.  5,  13-15,  19;  x.  15).  [3]  That  "wild  animal"  in  the 
opposite  sense  is  taken  in  the  Word  for  what  is  not  living,  is 
evident  from  many  passages,  of  which  only  the  following  will 
be  cited,  for  confirmation.  In  David : — 

0  deliver  not  the  soul  of  Thy  turtle-dove  unto  the  wild  animal  (Pa. 
Ixxiv.  19). 

In  Zephaniah : — 

How  is  the  city  become  a  desolation,  a  place  for  wild  animals  to  lie 
down  in  (ii.  15). 

In  Ezekiel : — 

And  they  shall  no  more  be  a  prey  to  the  nations,  neither  shall  the 
wild  animal  of  the  earth  eat  them  (xxxiv.  28). 

Again : — 

Upon  his  ruin  all  the  fowl  of  the  heavens  shall  dwell,  and  every  wild 
animal  of  the  field  shall  be  upon  his  branches  (xxxi.  13). 

In  Hosea : — 

There  will  I  consume  them  like  a  lion ;  the  wild  animal  of  the  field 
shall  tear  them  (xiii.  8). 

In  Ezekiel : — 

1  have  given  thee  for  meat  to  the  wild  animals  of  the  earth,  and  to 
the  fowl  of  the  heaven  (xxix.  5), 

an  expression  often  occurring.  And  since  the  Jews  remained 
in  the  sense  of  the  letter  only,  and  understood  by  "  wild  ani- 
mal" a  wild  animal,  and  by  "  fowl"  a  fowl,  not  knowing  the 
interior  things  of  the  Word,  nor  having  any  willingness  to 
acknowledge  them  and  so  to  be  instructed,  they  were  so  cruel 


N.  908]  CHAPTER  VTH.  VER.  17  439 

and  such  wild  animals  that  they  found  their  delight  in  not 
burying  enemies  killed  in  battle,  but  exposing  them  to  be  de- 
voured by  birds  of  prey  and  wild  beasts ;  which  also  shows 
what  a  wild  animal  man  is. 

909.  That  the  "fowl"  signifies  the  things  of  his  under- 
standing, and  the  "  beast"  the  things  of  his  will,  which  are  of 
the  internal  man,  and  that  "  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth 
upon  the  earth"  signifies  like  corresponding  things  in  his  ex- 
ternal man,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "fowl,"  as 
shown  above  (n.  40,  776),  and  of  "  beast"  (n.  45,  46,  142,  143, 
246).  That  the  "creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth" 
signifies  corresponding  things  in  the  external  man,  is  now  evi- 
dent, for  the  creeping  thing  here  bears  relation  both  to  the 
"  fowl,"  or  things  of  the  understanding,  and  to  the  "  beast," 
or  things  of  the  will.  The  most  ancient  people  called  sensu- 
ous things  and. the  pleasures  of  the  body  creeping  things  that 
creep,  because  they  are  just  like  creeping  things  that  creep  on 
the  earth.  They  also  likened  man's  body  to  the  earth  or 
ground,  and  even  called  it  earth  or  ground,  as  in  this  passage, 
where  nothing  else  than  the  external  man  is  signified  by  the 
"earth." 

911.  As  to  "the  creeping  thing  that  creeps"  signifying  like 
corresponding  things  in  the  external  man,  the  case  is  this.  In 
the  regenerated  man  external  things  correspond  to  internal 
things,  that  is,  do  their  bidding.  External  things  are  reduced 
to  obedience  when  man  is  being  regenerated,  and  he  then  be- 
comes an  image  of  heaven.  But  before  man  has  been  regen- 
erated, external  things  rule  over  internal,  and  he  is  then  an 
image  of  hell.  Order  consists  in  celestial  things  ruling  over 
spiritual  things,  through  these  over  natural  things,  and  through 
these  over  corporeal  things  ;  but  when  corporeal  and  natural 
things  rule  over  spiritual  and  celestial  things,  order  is  de- 
stroyed, and  then  the  man  is  an  image  of  hell ;  and  therefore 
the  Lord  restores  order  by  means  of  regeneration,  and  then 
the  man  becomes  an  image  of  heaven.  Thus  does  the  Lord 
draw  a  man  out  of  hell,  and  thus  does  He  uplift  him  to  heaven. 
[2]  A  few  words  shall  be  said  about  the  correspondence  of  the 
external  man  to  the  internal.  Every  regenerated  man  is  a  kind 
of  little  heaven,  that  is,  he  is  an  effigy  or  image  of  the  uni- 


440  GENESIS  [N.  911 

versal  heaven,  and  therefore  in  the  Word  his  internal  man  is 
called  "  heaven."  There  is  such  order  in  heaven  that  the  Lord 
rides  spiritual  things  through  celestial  things,  and  natural 
things  through  spiritual  things,  and  in  this  way  He  rules  the 
universal  heaven  as  one  man,  for  which  reason  heaven  is  called 
the  Grand  Man ;  and  there  is  the  like  order  in  every  one  who 
is  in  heaven.  Man  too,  when  like  this,  is  a  little  heaven,  or, 
what  is  the  same,  he  is  a  kingdom  of  the  Lord,  because  the 
kingdom  of  the  Lord  is  in  him;  and  then  in  him  external 
things  correspond  to  internal,  that  is,  they  obey  them,  just  as 
they  do  in  heaven ;  for  in  the  heavens  (which  are  three,  and 
all  of  which  together  stand  related  as  one  man)  spirits  consti- 
tute the  external  man,  angelic  spirits  the  interior  man,  and 
angels  the  internal  man  (n.  459).  [3]  It  is  the  reverse  with 
those  who  make  life  consist  solely  in  corporeal  things,  that  is, 
in  cupidities,  pleasures,  appetites,  and  matters  of  sense,  per- 
ceiving no  delight  other  than  that  which  is  of  the  love  of  self 
and  of  the  world,  that  is  to  say,  which  is  of  hatred  against  all 
who  do  not  favor  and  serve  them.  With  such,  because  cor- 
poreal and  natural  things  rule  over  spiritual  and  celestial 
things,  there  is  not  only  no  correspondence  or  obedience  of 
external  things,  but  the  very  reverse,  and  thus  order  is  utterly 
destroyed ;  and  because  order  is  so  destroyed,  they  cannot  be 
other  than  images  of  hell. 

912.  Briny  forth  with  thee.     That  this  signifies  their  state 
of  freedom,  is  evident  from  what  was  said  under  the  preceding 
verse  about  "  going  forth  from  the  ark,"  as  signifying  freedom. 

913.  That  they  may  spread  themselves  over  the  earth.     That 
this  signifies  the  operation  of  the  internal  man  on  the  external, 
and  that  "  being  fruitful"  signifies  increasings  of  good,  "  multi- 
plying," increasings  of  truth,  and  "  upon  the  earth,"  in  the  ex- 
ternal man,  is  evident  from  the  connection  of  the  things,  and 
also  from  what  has  been  before  said  and  shown  about  the  sig- 
nification of  "  being  fruitful,"  which  in  the  Word  is  predicated 
of  goods,  and  about  that  of  "  multiplying,"  which  is  predicated 
of  truths.     That  "  earth"  signifies  the  external  man  has  like- 
wise been  shown  before ;  so  that  we  need  not  dwell  longer  on 
these  significations  in  order  to  confirm  them.    Here  the  subject 
is  the  operation  of  the  internal  man  on  the  external  after  the 


N.  913]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  17  441 

man  has  been  regenerated,  showing  that  good  is  for  the  first 
time  made  fruitful,  and  truth  imiltiplied,  when  the  external 
man  has  been  reduced  to  correspondence  or  obedience.  This 
can  never  be  so  before,  because  what  is  corporeal  opposes  what 
is  good,  and  what  is  sensuous  opposes  what  is  true,  the  one 
extinguishing  the  love  of  good,  and  the  other  extinguishing 
the  love  of  truth.  The  fructification  of  good  and  the  multipli- 
cation of  truth  take  place  in  the  external  man ;  the  fructifica- 
tion of  good  in  his  affections,  and  the  multiplication  of  truth 
in  his  memory.  The  external  man  is  here  called  "  the  earth," 
over  which  they  spread  themselves,  and  upon  which  they  be- 
come fruitful  and  multiply. 

914.  Verse  18,  19.  And  Noah  went  forth,  and  his  sons,  and 
his  wife,  and  his  sons'  wives  with  him  ;  every  wild  animal,  every 
creeping  thing,  and  every  fowl,  everything  that  creepeth  upon 
the  earth,  according  to  their  families,  went  forth  out  of  the 
ark.     "  Went  forth,"  signifies  that  it  was  so  done ;  by  "  Noah 
and  his  sons,"  is  signified  the  man  of  the  Ancient  Church ;  by 
"  his  wife  and  his  sons'  wives  with  him,"  is  signified  that  church 
itself.    "  Every  wild  animal,  every  creeping  thing,"  signify  his 
goods  ;  "  wild  animal"  the  goods  of  the  internal  man  ;  "  creep- 
ing thing"  the  goods  of  the  external  man ;  "  and  every  fowl, 
everything  that    creepeth  upon  the    earth,"   signify  truths ; 
"  fowl"  the  truths  of  the  internal  man  ;  "  that  creepeth  upon  the 
earth,"  the  truths  of  the  external  man ;  "  according  to  their 
families,"  signifies  pairs  ;  "  went  forth  out  of  the  ark,"  signifies 
as  before  that  it  was  so  done,  and  at  the  same  time  it  signifies 
a  state  of  freedom. 

915.  That  by  his  "going  forth"  is  signified  that  it  was  so 
done  ;  that  by  "  Noah  and  his  sons"  is  signified  the  man  of  the 
Ancient  Church ;  and  that  by  "  his  wife  and  his  sons'  wives" 
is  signified  that  church  itself,  is  evident  from  the  series  of  the 
things,   which  involves  that  thus   was   the  Ancient  Church 
formed,  for  these  are  the  last  or  closing  statements  to  what 
has  gone  before.     When  the  church  is  described  in  the  Word, 
it  is  described  either  by  "  man  (vir)  and  wife,"  or  by  "  man 
(homo)  and  wife ;"  when  by  "  man  (vir)  and  wife,"  by  "  man" 
is  signified  what  is  of  the  understanding,  or  truth,  and  by 
"  wife"  what  is  of  the  will,  or  good ;  when  by  "  man  (homo)  and 


442  GENESIS  [N.  915 

wife,"  by  "  man"  is  signified  the  good  of  love,  or  love,  and  by 
"  wife"  the  truth  of  faith,  or  faith,  thus  by  "  man  (homo}"  is 
signified  what  is  essential  of  the  church,  and  by  "  wife"  the 
church  itself.  It  is  so  throughout  the  Word.  In  this  place, 
because  up  to  this  point  the  formation  of  a  new  church  has 
been  treated  of,  on  the  perishing  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church, 
by  "  Noah  and  his  sons"  is  signified  the  man  (homo)  of  the 
Ancient  Church,  and  by  his  "wife  and  his  sons'  wives  with 
him"  that  church  itself.  Here  therefore  they  are  named  in  an 
order  different  from  that  in  the  previous  verse  (16),  where  it  is 
said :  "  Go  forth  from  the  ark,  thou  and  thy  wife,  and  thy  sons 
and  thy  sons'  wives  with  thee,"  where  "  thou"  and  "  thy  wife" 
are  joined  together,  and  "thy  sons"  and  "thy  sons'  wives," 
and  thus  by  "  thou"  and  "  sons"  is  signified  truth,  and  by 
"  wife"  and  "  sons'  wives"  good.  But  in  the  verse  we  are  now 
considering  the  order  is  different,  for  the  reason,  as  we  have 
said,  that  by  "  thou  and  thy  sons"  is  signified  the  man  of  the 
church,  and  by  "  his  wife  and  his  sons'  wives"  the  church  it- 
self, since  it  is  the  conclusion  to  what  goes  before.  Noah  did 
not  constitute  the  Ancient  Church,  but  his  sons,  Shem,  Ham, 
and  Japheth,  as  said  before.  For  three  churches,  so  to  speak, 
formed  this  Ancient  Church,  concerning  which,  of  the  Lord's 
Divine  mercy  hereafter.  And  these  churches  came  forth  as  the 
offspring  of  one,  which  is  called  "  Noah  ;"  hence  it  is  here  said, 
"  thou  and  thy  sons,"  and  also  "  thy  wife  and  thy  sons'  wives." 
916.  That  "every  wild  animal  and  every  creeping  thing," 
signify  the  goods  of  the  man  of  the  church ;  "  wild  animal," 
the  goods  of  the  internal  man ;  "  creeping  thing,"  those  of  the 
external  man  ;  and  that  "  every  fowl  and  everything  that 
creepeth  upon  the  earth,"  signify  truths ;  "  fowl,"  the  truths 
of  the  internal  man ;  and  "  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth," 
those  of  the  external  man,  is  evident  from  what  was  said  and 
shown  under  the  preceding  verse  in  regard  to  wild  animal, 
fowl,  and  creeping  thing,  where  it  is  said  "  creeping  thing  that 
creepeth,"  because  both  good  and  truth  of  the  external  man 
were  signified.  Inasmuch  as  what  is  here  said  is  the  conclu- 
sion to  what  goes  before,  these  things  which  are  of  the  church 
are  added,  namely,  its  goods  and  truths ;  and  by  them  is  indi- 
cated the  quality  of  the  church,  that  it  is  spiritual,  and  that  it 


N.  916]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VERS.   18,  19  443 

became  such  that  charity  or  good  was  the  principal  thn.&  ;  and 
therefore  "  wild  animal  and  creeping  thing"  are  here  first  men- 
tioned, and  afterwards  "  fowl  and  thing  that  creepeth."  [2] 
The  church  is  called  spiritual  when  it  acts  from  charity,  or 
from  the  good  of  charity — never  when  it  says  that  it  has  faith 
without  charity,  for  then  it  is  not  even  a  church.  For  what 
is  the  doctrine  of  faith  but  the  doctrine  of  charity  ?  And  to 
what  purpose  is  the  doctrine  of  faith,  but  that  men  should  do 
what  it  teaches  ?  It  cannot  be  merely  to  know  and  think  what 
it  teaches,  but  only  that  what  it  teaches  should  be  done.  The 
spiritual  church  is  therefore  first  called  a  church  when  it  acts 
from  charity,  which  is  the  very  doctrine  of  faith.  Or,  what  is 
the  same  thing,  the  man  of  the  church  is  then  first  a  church. 
Just  in  the  same  way,  what  is  a  commandment  for  ?  not  that 
a  man  may  know,  but  that  he  may  live  according  to  the  com- 
mandment. For  then  he  has  in  himself  the  kingdom  of  the 
Lord,  since  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  consists  solely  in  mutual 
love  and  its  happiness.  [3]  Those  who  separate  faith  from 
charity,  and  make  salvation  consist  in  faith  without  the  good 
works  of  charity,  are  Cainites  who  slay  the  brother  Abel,  that 
is,  charity.  And  they  are  like  birds  which  hover  about  a  car- 
cass ;  for  such  faith  is  a  bird,  and  a  man  without  charity  is  a 
carcass.  Thus  they  also  form  for  themselves  a  spurious  con- 
science, so  that  they  may  live  like  devils,  hold  the  neighbor  in 
hatred  and  persecute  him,  pass  their  whole  life  in  adulteries, 
and  yet  be  saved,  as  is  well  known  in  the  Christian  world. 
What  can  be  more  agreeable  to  a  man  than  to  hear  and  be  per- 
suaded that  he  may  be  saved,  even  if  he  live  like  a  wild  beast  ? 
The  very  Gentiles  perceive  that  this  is  false,  many  of  whom 
abhor  the  doctrine  of  Christians  because  they  see  their  life. 
The  real  quality  of  such  a  faith  is  evident  also  from  the  fact 
that  nowhere  is  there  found  a  life  more  detestable  than  in  the 
Christian  world. 

917.  According  to  their  families.  That  this  signifies  pairs, 
is  evident  from  what  was  said  before,  namely,  that  there 
entered  into  the  ark  "  of  the  clean  by  sevens,"  and  "  of  the 
unclean  by  twos"  (vii.  2,  3, 15) ;  while  here  it  is  said  that  they 
went  out  of  it  "  according  to  their  families,"  the  reason  of 
which  is  that  all  things  had  now  been  so  reduced  into  order 


444  GENESIS  [N.  917 

by  the  Lord  that  chey  could  represent  families.  In  the  regen- 
erated man,  goods  and  truths,  or  the  things  of  charity  and 
faith,  are  related  to  each  other  as  with  relationships  by  blood 
and  by  marriage,  thus  as  families  from  one  stock  or  parent,  in 
like  manner  as  they  are  in  heaven  (n.  685),  an  order  into 
which  goods  and  truths  are  brought  by  the  Lord.  Specifically, 
it  is  here  signified  that  all  goods  both  in  general  and  in  par- 
ticular have  regard  to  their  own  truths,  as  though  these  were 
conjoined  with  them  in  marriage ;  and  just  as  in  general  charity 
regards  faith,  so  in  every  particular  good  regards  truth;  for 
the  general,  unless  it  exists  from  the  particular,  is  not  the 
general,  seeing  that  it  is  from  the  particulars  that  the  general 
has  its  existence,  and  from  them  is  called  general.  So  in 
every  man,  such  as  is  the  man  in  general,  such  is  he  in  the 
minutest  particulars  of  his  affection  and  of  his  idea.  Of  these 
he  is  composed,  or  of  these  he  becomes  such  as  he  is  in  general ; 
and  therefore  they  who  have  been  regenerated  become  such  in 
the  smallest  particulars  as  they  are  in  general. 

918.  Went  forth  out  of  the  ark.  That  this  involves  also  a 
state  of  freedom,  is  evident  from  what  was  said  above  (at  verse 
16)  about  going  out  of  the  ark.  The  quality  of  the  freedom 
of  the  spiritual  man  appears  from  the  consideration  that  he 
is  ruled  by  the  Lord  through  conscience.  He  who  is  ruled  by 
conscience,  or  who  acts  according  to  conscience,  acts  freely. 
Nothing  is  more  repugnant  to  him  than  to  act  against  con- 
science. To  act  against  conscience  is  hell  to  him,  but  to  act 
according  to  conscience  is  heaven  to  him ;  and  from  this  any 
one  may  see  that  acting  according  to  conscience  is  freedom. 
The  Lord  rules  the  spiritual  man  through  a  conscience  of  what 
is  good  and  true ;  and  this  conscience  is  formed,  as  already 
said,  in  man's  understanding,  and  is  thus  separated  from  what 
is  of  his  will.  And  because  it  is  wholly  separated  from  what 
is  of  the  will,  it  is  very  evident  that  man  never  does  anything 
good  of  himself ;  and  since  all  the  truth  of  faith  is  from  the 
good  of  faith,  it  is  evident  that  man  never  thinks  anything 
true  from  himself,  but  that  this  is  from  the  Lord  alone.  That 
he  seems  to  do  these  things  from  himself  is  only  an  appear- 
ance ;  and  because  it  is  so,  the  really  spiritual  man  acknowl- 
edges and  believes  it.  From  this  it  is  evident  that  conscience 


N.  918]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VERS.  18,  19  445 

given  to  the  spiritual  man  by  the  Lord  is  as  it  were  a  new 
will,  and  thus  that  the  man  who  has  been  created  anew  is 
endowed  with  a  new  will  and  from  this  with  a  new  under- 
standing. 

919.  Verse  20.   And  Noah  builded  an  altar  unto  Jehovah ; 
and  took  of  every  clean  beast,  and  of  every  clean  fowl,  and 
offered  burnt-offerings  on  the  altar.     "  Noah  builded  an  altar 
unto  Jehovah,"  signifies  a  representative  of  the  Lord ;  "  and 
took  of  every  clean  beast,  and  of  every  clean  fowl,"  signifies 
the  goods  of  charity  and  of  faith ;  "  and  offered  burnt-offerings 
on  the  altar,"  signifies  all  the  worship  therefrom. 

920.  In  this  verse  there  is  described  the  worship  of  the 
Ancient  Church  in  general,  and  this  by  the  "  altar"  and  the 
"  burnt-offering,"  which  were  the  principal  things  in  all  repre- 
sentative worship.     In  the  first  place,  however,  we  will  de- 
scribe the  worship  that  existed  in  the  Most  Ancient  Church, 
and  from  that  show  how  there  originated  the  worship  of  the 
Lord  by  means  of  representatives.      The  men  of  the  Most 
Ancient  Church  had  no  other  than  internal  worship,  such  as 
there  is  in  heaven ;  for  with  them  heaven  was  in  communica- 
tion with  man,  so  that  they  made  a  one ;  and  this  communi- 
cation was  perception,  of  which  we  have  often  spoken  before. 
Thus  being  angelic  they  were  internal  men,  and  although  they 
sensated  the  external  things  of  the  body  and  the  world,  they 
cared  not  for  them ;  for  in  each  object  of  sense  they  perceived 
something  Divine  and  heavenly.    For  example,  when  they  saw 
a  high  mountain,  they  perceived  an  idea,  not  of  a  mountain, 
but  of  elevation,  and  from  elevation,  of  heaven  and  the  Lord, 
from  which  it  came  to  pass  that  the  Lord  was  said  to  dwell  in 
the  highest,  He  himself  being  called  the  "  Most  High  and 
Lofty  One ;"  and  that  afterwards  the  worship  of  the  Lord  was 
held  on  mountains.     So  with  other  things  ;  as  when  they  ob- 
served the  morning,  they  did  not  then  perceive  the  morning  of 
the  day,  but  that  which  is  heavenly,  and  which  is  like  a  morning 
and  a  dawn  in  human  minds,  and  from  which  the  Lord  is  called 
the  "  Morning,"  the  "  East,"  and  the  "  Dawn"  or  "  Day-spring." 
So  when  they  looked  at  a  tree  and  its  leaves  and  fruit,  they 
cared  not  for  these,  but-  saw  man  as  it  were  represented  in 
them ;  in  the  fruit,  love  and  charity,  in  the  leaves  faith ;  and 


446  GENESIS  [N.  920 

from  this  the  man  of  the  church  was  not  only  compared  to  a 
tree,  and  to  a  paradise,  and  what  is  in  him  to  leaves  and  fruit, 
but  he  was  even  called  so.  Such  are  they  who  are  in  a 
heavenly  and  angelic  idea.  [2]  Every  one  may  know  that  a 
general  idea  rules  all  the  particulars,  thus  all  the  objects  of 
the  senses,  as  well  those  seen  as  those  heard,  so  much  so  that 
the  objects  are  not  cared  for  except  so  far  as  they  flow  into 
the  man's  general  idea.  Thus  to  him  who  is  glad  at  heart,  all 
things  that  he  hears  and  sees  appear  smiling  and  joyful;  but  to 
him  who  is  sad  at  heart,  all  things  that  he  sees  and  hears  appear 
sad  and  sorrowful ;  and  so  in  other  cases.  For  the  general 
affection  is  in  all  the  particulars,  and  causes  them  to  be  seen 
in  the  general  affection ;  while  all  other  things  do  not  even 
appear,  but  are  as  if  absent  or  of  no  account.  And  so  it  was 
with  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church :  whatever  he  saw 
with  his  eyes  was  heavenly  to  him ;  and  thus 'with  him  every- 
thing seemed  to  be  alive.  And  this  shows  the  character  of  his 
Divine  worship,  that  it  was  internal,  and  by  no  means  external. 
[3]  But  when  the  church  declined,  as  in  his  posterity,  and 
that  perception  or  communication  with  heaven  began  to  be  lost, 
another  state  of  things  commenced.  Then  no  longer  did  men 
perceive  anything  heavenly  in  the  objects  of  the  senses,  as 
they  had  done  before,  but  merely  what  is  worldly,  and  this  to 
an  increasing  extent  in  proportion  to  the  loss  of  their  percep- 
tion ;  and  at  last,  in  the  closing  posterity  which  existed  just 
before  the  flood,  they  apprehended  in  objects  nothing  but 
what  is  worldly,  corporeal,  and  earthly.  Thus  was  heaven 
separated  from  man,  nor  did  thay  communicate  except  very 
remotely ;  and  communication  was  then  opened  to  man  with 
hell,  and  from  thence  came  his  general  idea,  from  which  flow 
the  ideas  of  all  the  particulars,  as  has  been  shown.  Then 
when  any  heavenly  idea  presented  itself,  it  was  as  nothing  to 
them,  so  that  at  last  they  were  not  even' willing  to  acknowledge 
that  anything  spiritual  and  celestial  existed.  Thus  did  the 
state  of  man  become  changed  and  inverted.  [4]  As  the  Lord 
foresaw  that  such  would  be  the  state  of  man,  He  provided  for 
the  preservation  of  the  doctrinal  things  of  faith,  in  order  that 
men  might  know  what  is  celestial  and  .what  is  spiritual.  These 
doctrinal  things  were  collected  from  the  men  of  the  Most 


N.  920]  CHAPTER   Vm.  VER.  20  447 

Ancient  Church  by  those  called  "  Cain,"  and  also  by  those 
called  "  Enoch,"  concerning  whom  above.  Wherefore  it  is 
said  of  Cain  that  a  mark  was  set  upon  him  lest  any  one  should 
kill  him  (see  chapter  iv.  verse  5,  n.  393,  394) ;  and  of  Enoch 
that  he  was  taken  by  God  (chapter  v.  verse  24).  These  doc- 
trinal things  consisted  only  in  significative,  and  thus  as  it 
were  enigmatical  things,  that  is,  in  the  significations  of  various 
objects  on  the  face  of  the  earth ;  such  as  that  mountains  sig- 
nify celestial  things,  and  the  Lord ;  that  morning  and  the  east 
have  this  same  signification ;  that  trees  of  various  kinds  and 
their  fruits  signify  man  and  his  heavenly  things,  and  so  on. 
In  such  things  as  these  consisted  their  doctrinal  things,  all  of 
which  were  collected  from  the  significatives  of  the  Most 
Ancient  Church ;  and  consequently  their  writings  also  were 
of  the  same  nature.  And  as  in  these  representatives  they 
admired,  and  seemed  to  themselves  even  to  behold,  what  is 
Divine  and  heavenly,  and  also  because  of  the  antiquity  of  the 
same,  their  worship  from  things  like  these  was  begun  and  was 
permitted,  and  this  was  the  origin  of  their  worship  upon 
mountains,  and  in  groves  in  the  midst  of  trees,  and  also  of 
their  pillars  or  statues  in  the  open  air,  and  at  last  of  the  altars 
and  burnt-offerings  which  afterwards  became  the  principal 
things  of  all  worship.  This  worship  was  begun  by  the  Ancient 
Church,  and  passed  thence  to  their  posterity  and  to  all  nations 
round  about,  besides  many  other  things,  concerning  which  of 
the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter. 

921.  And  Noah  builded  an  altar  unto  Jehovah.  That  this 
signifies  a  representative  of  the  Lord,  is  evident  from  what  has 
just  been  said.  All  the  rites  of  the  Ancient  Church  were  rep- 
resentative of  the  Lord,  as  also  the  rites  of  the  Jewish  Church. 
But  the  principal  representative  in  later  times  was  the  altar, 
and  also  the  burnt-offering,  which  being  made  of  clean  beasts 
and  clean  birds,  had  its  representation  according  to  their  sig- 
nification, clean  beasts  signifying  the  goods  of  charity,  and 
clean  birds  the  truths  of  faith.  When  men  of  the  Ancient 
Church  offered  these,  they  signified  that  they  offered  gifts  of 
these  goods  and  truths  to  the  Lord.  Nothing  else  can  be  offered 
to  the  Lord  that  will  be  grateful  to  Him.  But  their  posterity, 
as  the  Gentiles  and  also  the  Jews,  perverted  these  things,  not 


448  GENESIS  [N.  921 

even  knowing  that  they  had  such  a  signification,  and  making 
their  worship  consist  in  the  externals  only.  [2]  That  the  altar 
was  the  principal  representative  of  the  Lord,  is  evident  from 
the  fact  that  there  were  altars,  even  among  Gentiles,  before 
other  rites  were  instituted,  and  before  the  ark  was  constructed, 
and  before  the  temple  was  built.  This  is  evident  from  Abram, 
as  that  when  he  came  upon  the  mountain  on  the  east  of  Bethel 
he  raised  an  altar  and  called  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah  ( Gen. 
xii.  8) ;  and  afterwards  he  was  commanded  to  offer  Isaac  for  a 
burnt-offering  on  an  altar  (xxii.  2,  9).  So  Jacob  built  an  altar 
at  Luz,  or  Bethel  (xxxv.  6,  7) ;  and  Moses  built  an  altar  under 
Mount  Sinai,  and  sacrificed  (Exod.  xxiv.  4-6).  All  this  was 
before  the  [Jewish]  sacrifices  were  instituted,  and  before  the 
ark  was  constructed  at  which  worship  was  afterwards  per- 
formed in  the  wilderness.  That  there  were  altars  likewise 
among  the  Gentiles,  is  evident  from  Balaam,  who  said  to  Balak 
that  he  should  build  seven  altars  and  prepare  seven  bullocks 
and  seven  rams  (Num.  xxiii.  1-7, 14-18,  29,  30) ;  and  also  from 
its  being  commanded  that  the  altars  of  the  nations  should  be 
destroyed  (Deut.  vii.  5;  Judg.  ii.).  Thus  Divine  worship  by 
altars  and  sacrifices  was  not  a  new  thing  instituted  with  the 
Jews.  Indeed  altars  were  built  before  men  had  any  idea  of 
slaying  oxen  and  sheep  upon  them,  but  as  memorials.  [3]  That 
altars  signify  a  representative  of  the  Lord,  and  burnt-offerings 
the  worship  of  Him  thereby,  is  plainly  evident  in  the  Prophets, 
as  also  in  Moses  when  it  is  said  of  Levi,  to  whom  the  priest- 
hood belonged : — 

They  shall  teach  Jacob  Thy  judgments,  and  Israel  Thy  law  ;  they  shall 
put  incense  in  Thy  nostrils,  and  whole  burnt-offering  upon  Thine  altar 
(xxxiii.  10), 

meaning  all  worship  ;  for  "  to  teach  Jacob  judgments,  and  Israel 
the  law"  denotes  internal  worship ;  and  "  to  put  incense  in  Thy 
nostrils,  and  whole  burnt-offering  on  Thine  altar"  denotes  cor- 
responding external  worship.  In  Isaiah : — 

In  that  day  shall  a  man  look  unto  his  Maker,  and  his  eyes  shall  have 
respect  to  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  and  he  shall  not  look  to  the  altars,  the 
work  of  his  hands  (xvii.  7,  8), 

where  "looking  to  the  altars,"  plainly  signifies  representative 
worship  in  general,  which  was  to  be  abolished.  Again  : — 


N.  921]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  20  449 

In  that  day  shall  there  be  an  altar  to  Jehovah  in  the  midst  of  the  land 
of  Egypt,  and  a  pillar  at  the  border  thereof  to  Jehovah  (xix.  19), 

where  also  "  an  altar"  stands  for  external  worship.  [4]  In 
Jeremiah : — 

The  Lord  hath  cast  off  His  altar,  He  hath  abhorred  His  sanctuary 
(Lam.  11.  7)  ; 

"  altar"  denoting  representative  worship  which  had  become  idol- 
atrous. In  Hosea : — 

Because  Ephraim  hath  multiplied  altars  to  sin,  altars  have  been  unto 
him  to  sin  (viii.  11)  ; 

"  altars"  denote  here  all  representative  worship  separate  from 
internal,  thus  what  is  idolatrous.  Again : — 

The  high  places  also  of  Aven,  the  sin  of  Israel,  shall  be  destroyed  ;  the 
thorn  and  the  thistle  shall  come  up  on  their  altars  (x.  8), 

where  "  altars"  denote  idolatrous  worship.     In  Amos  : — 

In  the  day  that  I  shall  visit  the  transgressions  of  Israel  upon  him,  I 
will  also  visit  the  altars  of  Bethel,  and  the  horns  of  the  altar  shall  be  cut 
off  (iii.  14), 

where  again  "altars"  denote  representative  worship  become 
idolatrous.  [5]  In  David: — 

Let  them  bring  me  unto  the  mountain  of  Thy  holiness,  and  to  Thy 
tabernacles.  And  I  will  go  unto  the  altar  of  God,  unto  God  the  gladness 
of  my  joy  (Ps.  xliii.  3,  4), 

where  "  altar"  manifestly  denotes  the  Lord.  Thus  the  build- 
ing of  an  altar  in  the  Ancient  and  in  the  Jewish  Church  was 
for  a  representative  of  the  Lord.  As  the  worship  of  the  Lord 
was  performed  principally  by  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices,  and 
thus  these  things  signified  principally  representative  worship, 
it  is  evident  that  the  altar  itself  signifies  this  representative 
worship  itself. 

922.  And  took  of  every  clean  beast  and  of  every  clean  fowl. 
That  this  signifies  the  goods  of  charity  and  the  truths  of  ¥aith, 
has  been  shown  above ;  that  "  beast"  signifies  the  goods  of 
charity  (n.  45,  46,  142,  143,  246) ;  and  that  "  fowl"  signifies 
the  truths  of  faith  (n.  40,  776).  Burnt-offerings  were  made  of 
oxen,  of  lambs  and  goats,  and  of  turtle-doves  and  young  pigeons 
(Lev.  i.  3-17 ;  Num.  xv.  2-15 ;  xxviii.  1-31).  These  were  clean 
V-»L.  I.— 29 


450  GENESIS  [N.  922 

beasts,  and  each  one  of  them  signified  some  special  heavenly 
thing.  And  because  they  signified  these  things  in  the  Ancient 
Church  and  represented  them  in  the  churches  that  followed,  it 
is  evident  that  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices  were  nothing  else 
than  representatives  of  internal  worship ;  and  that  when  they 
were  separated  from  internal  worship  they  became  idolatrous. 
This  any  one  of  sound  reason  may  see.  For  what  is  an  altar 
but  something  of  stone,  and  what  is  burnt-offering  and  sacrifice 
but  the  slaying  of  a  beast  ?  If  there  be  Divine  worship,  it 
must  represent  something  heavenly  which  they  know  and  ac- 
knowledge, and  from  which  they  worship  Him  whom  they  rep- 
resent. [2]  That  these  were  representatives  of  the  Lord  no 
one  can  be  ignorant,  unless  he  is  unwilling  to  understand  any- 
thing about  the  Lord.  It  is  by  internal  things,  namely,  charity 
and  the  faith  therefrom,  that  He  who  is  represented  is  to  be 
seen  and  acknowledged  and  believed,  as  is  clearly  evident  in 
the  Prophets,  for  example,  in  Jeremiah : — 

Thus  saith  Jehovah  of  armies,  the  God  of  Israel,  Add  your  burnt- 
offerings  unto  your  sacrifices,  and  eat  ye  flesh  ;  for  I  spake  not  unto  your 
fathers,  and  I  commanded  them  not  in  the  day  that  I  brought  them  out 
of  the  land  of  Egypt,  concerning  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices  ;  but  this 
thing  I  commanded  them,  saying,  Hearken  unto  My  voice,  and  I  will  be 
your  God  (vii.  21-23). 

To  "  hearken  to,"  or  obey,  "  the  voice,"  is  to  obey  the  law,  which 
all  relates  to  the  one  command  :  to  love  God  above  all  things, 
and  the  neighbor  as  one's  self ;  for  in  this  is  the  Law  and  the 
Prophets  (Matt.  xxii.  35-40  ;  vii.  12).  In  David : — 

O  Jehovah,  sacrifice  and  offering  Thou  hast  not  desired,  burnt-offering 
and  sin-offering  hast  Thou  not  required  ;  I  have  desired  to  do  Thy  will, 
O  my  God  ;  yea,  Thy  law  is  within  my  heart  (Ps.  xl.  7,  9). 

[3]  In  Samuel,  who  said  to  Saul, 

Hath  Jehovah  as  great  pleasure  in  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices  as  in 
hearkening  to  the  voice  of  Jehovah  ?  behold,  to  obey  is  better  than  sac- 
rifice, tnd  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams  (1  Sam.  xv.  22). 

What  is  meant  by  "  hearkening  to  the  voice"  may  be  seen  in 
Micah : — 

Shall  I  come  before  Jehovah  with  burnt-offerings,  with  calves  of  a  year 
old  ?  will  Jehovah  be  pleased  with  thousands  of  rams,  with  ten  thousands 
of  rivers  of  oil  ?  He  hath  showed  thee,  0  man,  what  is  good  ;  and  what 


N.  922]  CHAPTER  YIII.  VER.  20  451 

doth  Jehovah  require  of  thee,  but  to  do  judgment,  and  to  love  mercy,  and 
to  humble  thyself  in  walking  with  thy  God  ?  (vi.  6-8). 

This  is  what  is  signified  by  "  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices  of 
clean  beasts  and  birds."  So  in  Amos : — 

Though  you  offer  me  Me  your  burnt-offerings  and  gifts  I  will  not  accept 
them  ;  neither  will  I  regard  the  peace-offering  of  your  fat  ones  ;  let  judg- 
ment flow  like  waters,  and  righteousness  like  a  mighty  river  (v.  22,  24). 

"  Judgment"  is  truth,  and  "  righteousness"  is  good,  both  from 
charity,  and  these  are  the  "  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices"  of 
the  internal  man.  In  Hosea : — 

For  I  desire  mercy  and  not  sacrifice,  and  the  knowledge  of  God  rather 
than  burnt-offerings  (vi.  6). 

From  these  passages  it  is  evident  what  sacrifices  and  burnt- 
offerings  are  where  there  is  no  charity  and  faith  ;  and  it  is  also 
evident  that  clean  beasts  and  clean  birds  represented,  because 
they  signified,  the  goods  of  charity  and  of  faith. 

923.  And  he  offered  burnt-offerings  on  the  altar.     That  this 
signifies  all  worship  therefrom,  is  evident  from  what  has  been 
already  said.    Burnt-offerings  were  the  principal  things  of  the 
worship  of  the  representative  church,  and  so  thereafter  were 
sacrifices,  concerning  which,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  here- 
after.    That  "  burnt-offerings"  taken  in  the  complex  signify 
representative  worship,  is  evident  also  in  the  Prophets,  as  in 
David : — 

Jehovah  will  send  thee  help  from  the  sanctuary,  and  strengthen  thee 
out  of  Zion  ;  He  will  remember  all  thy  offerings,  and  accept  as  fat  thy 
burnt-offering  (Ps.  xx.  2,  3). 

In  Isaiah : — 

Whoso  keepeth  the  sabbath  from  profaning  it,  them  will  I  bring  in  to 
My  holy  mountain  ;  their  burnt-offerings  and  their  sacrifices  shall  be 
accepted  upon  Mine  altar  (Ivi.  6,  7), 

where  "burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices"  denote  all  worship; 
"  burnt-offerings"  worship  from  love,  "  sacrifices"  worship  from 
the  derivative  faith.  As  is  usual  in  the  Prophets,  internal 
things  are  here  described  by  external. 

924.  Verse  21.   And  Jehovah  smelled  an  odor  of  rest ;  and 
Jehovah  said  in  His  heart,  I  will  not  again  curse  the  ground 
any  more  on  marts  account ;  because  the  imagination  of  man's 


452  GENESIS  [N.  924 

heart  is  evil  from  his  youth ;  neither  will  I  again  smite  any 
more  everything  living,  as  I  have  done.  "  And  Jehovah  smelled 
an  odor  of  rest,"  signifies  that  worship  therefrom  was  grateful 
to  the  Lord,  that  is,  worship  from  charity  and  the  faith  of 
charity ;  "  and  Jehovah  said  in  His  heart,"  signifies  that  it 
would  happen  so  no  more ;  "  I  will  not  again  curse  the  ground 
any  more,"  signifies  that  man  would  not  any  more  so  turn  him- 
self away ;  "  on  man's  account,"  signifies  as  did  the  man  of  the 
posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church ;  "  because  the  imagina- 
tion of  man's  heart  is  evil  from  his  youth,"  signifies  that  man's 
will  is  Altogether  evil ;  "  neither  will  I  again  smite  any  more 
everything  living,  as  I  have  done,"  signifies  that  man  would 
not  be  able  any  more  so  to  destroy  himself. 

925.  And  Jehovah  smelled  an  odor  of  rest.  That  this  signi- 
fies that  worship  therefrom  was  grateful  to  the  Lord,  that  is, 
worship  from  charity  and  the  faith  of  charity,  which  is  signi- 
fied by  "  burnt-offering,"  has  been  stated  under  the  preceding 
verse.  It  is  often  said  in  the  Word  that  Jehovah  "  smelled  an 
odor  of  rest,"  especially  from  burnt-offerings ;  and  this  always 
means  what  is  grateful  or  acceptable ;  as  that  He  "  smelled  an 
odor  of  rest"  from  burnt-offerings  (Exod.  xxix.  18,  25,  41 ; 
Lev.  i.  9,  13,  17 ;  xxxiii.  12,  13,  18 ;  Num.  xxviii.  6,  8,  13 ; 
xxix.  2,  6,  8,  13,  36),  and  also  from  other  sacrifices  (Lev.  ii.  2, 
9;  vi.  15,  21;  viii.  21,  28;  Num.  xv.  3,  7, 13).  They  are  also 
called  "made  by  fire  for  an  odor  of  rest* unto  Jehovah,"  by 
which  is  signified  that  they  are  from  love  and  charity.  "  Fire" 
in  the  Word  and  "  made  by  fire,"  when  predicated  of  the  Lord 
and  of  the  worship  of  Him,  signifies  love.  So  also  does 
"  bread,"  and  for  this  reason  representative  worship  by  burnt- 
offerings  and  sacrifices  is  called  "  the  bread  of  the  offering  made 
by  fire  for  an  odor  of  rest"  (Lev.  iii.  11,  16).  [2]  That  an 
"  odor"  signifies  what  is  grateful  and  acceptable,  and  thus  that 
an  odor  in  the  Jewish  Church  was  a  representative  of  what  is 
grateful,  and  is  ascribed  to  Jehovah  or  the  Lord,  is  because  the 
good  of  charity  and  the  truth  of  faith  from  charity  correspond 
to  sweet  and  delightful  odors.  The  fact  of  this  correspondence 
and  the  nature  of  it  is  demonstrable  from  the  spheres  of  spirits 
and  angels  in  heaven,  where  there  are  spheres  of  love  and  faith 
which  are  plainly  perceived.  The  spheres  are  such  that  when 


N.  925]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  21  453 

a  good  spirit  or  angel,  or  a  society  of  good  spirits  or  of  angels, 
comes  near,  then,  whenever  the  Lord  pleases,  it  is  at  once  per- 
ceived, even  at  a  distance,  but  more  sensibly  on  a  nearer  ap- 
proach, what  is  the  quality  in  respect  to  love  and  faith  of  that 
spirit,  angel,  or  society.  This  is  incredible,  yet  is  perfectly 
true.  Such  is  the  communication  in  the  other  life,  and  such  is 
the  perception.  Wherefore,  when  it  pleases  the  Lord,  there  is 
no  need  to  explore  in  many  ways  the  quality  of  a  soul  or  spirit ; 
for  it  may  be  known  at  his  first  approach.  To  these  spheres 
correspond  the  spheres  of  odors  in  the  world.  That  they  do  so 
correspond  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  when  it  pleases  the 
Lord  the  spheres  of  love  and  faith  in  the  world  of  spirits  are 
turned  into  spheres  of  sweet  and  pleasing  odors,  and  are  plainly 
perceived.  [3]  From  these  things  it  is  now  evident  whence 
and  why  "  an  odor  of  rest"  signifies  what  is  grateful,  and  why 
an  odor  became  representative  in  the  Jewish  Church,  and  why 
"  an  odor  of  rest"  is  here  ascribed  to  Jehovah  or  the  Lord.  An 
odor  of  rest  is  one  of  peace,  or  a  grateful  sense  of  peace.  Peace 
taken  in  the  complex  embraces  all  things  of  the  Lord's  king- 
dom both  in  general  and  in  particular,  for  the  state  of  the 
Lord's  kingdom  is  a  state  of  peace,  and  in  a  state  of  peace 
there  come  forth  all  the  happy  states  that  result  from  love  and 
faith  in  the  Lord.  From  what  has  now  been  said  it  is  plain 
not  only  how  it  is  with  representatives,  but  also  why  in  the 
Jewish  Church  incense  was  used,  for  which  there  was  an  altar 
before  the  veil  and  the  mercy -seat ;  why  there  were  offerings 
of  frankincense  in  the  sacrifices  ;  also  why  so  many  spices  were 
used  in  the  incense,  in  the  frankincense,  and  in  the  oil  for 
anointing ;  and  thus  what  is  signified  in  the  Word  by  "  an  odor 
of  rest,"  "  incense,"  and  "  spices,"  namely,  the  celestial  things 
of  love  and  the  spiritual  things  of  faith  therefrom ;  in  general, 
whatever  is  grateful  from  love  and  faith.  [4]  As  in  Ezekiel : — 

In  the  mountain  of  My  holiness,  in  the  mountain  of  the  height  of  Israel, 
there  shall  all  the  house  of  Israel  in  the  whole  land  serve  Me  ;  there  will 
I  accept  them,  and  there  will  I  seek  your  oblations  and  the  first  fruits  of 
your  gifts,  with  all  your  holy  things  ;  as  an  odor  of  rest  will  I  accept  you 
(xx  40,  41). 

Here  "  an  odor  of  rest"  is  predicated  of  burnt-offerings  and 
gifts,  that  is,  of  worship  from  charity  and  its  faith,  which  is 


454  GENESIS  [N.  925 

signified  by  the  burnt-offerings  and  gifts,  and  is  consequently 
acceptable,  which  is  meant  by  the  "  odor."  In  Amos : — 

I  hate,  I  have  rejected  your  feasts,  and  I  will  not  receive  the  odor  of 
your  holidays,  for  if  ye  shall  offer  Me  your  burnt-offerings  and  gifts,  they 
shall  not  be  acceptable  (v.  21,  22). 

Here  "  odor"  manifestly  signifies  what  is  grateful  or  acceptable. 
Of  Isaac  when  blessing  Jacob  instead  of  Esau  it  is  said :  — 

And  Jacob  came  near,  and  he  kissed  him  ;  and  he  smelled  the  smell  of 
his  raiment,  and  blessed  him,  and  said,  See,  the  smell  of  my  son  is  as  the 
smell  of  a  field  which  Jehovah  hath  blessed  (Gen.  xxvii.  27). 

The  "  smell  of  his  raiment"  signifies  natural  good  and  truth, 
which  is  grateful  from  its  agreement  with  celestial  and  spirit- 
ual good  and  truth,  the  gratefulness  of  which  is  described  by 
the  «  smell  of  a  field." 

926.  Jehovah  said  in  His  heart.     That  this  signifies  that  it 
would  happen  so  no  more,  is  evident  from  what  follows.    When 
it  is  predicated  of  Jehovah  that  He  "  says,"  nothing  else  is 
meant  than  that  what  He  says  is  or  takes  place  so,  or  not  so, 
for  of  Jehovah  nothing  else  can  be  said  than  that  He  is.     What- 
ever is  predicated  of  Jehovah  in  various  places  in  the  Word,  is 
so  expressed  for  the  sake  of  those  who  can  apprehend  nothing 
except  from  such  things  as  are  in  man,  and  therefore  the  sense 
of  the  letter  is  of  this  nature.     The  simple  in  heart  may  be  in- 
structed from  the  appearances  with  man,  for  they  scarcely  go 
beyond  the  knowledges  that  are  derived  from  things  of  sense, 
and  therefore  the  language  of  the  Word  is  adapted  to  their 
apprehension ;  as  here,  where  it  is  said  that  "  Jehovah  said  in 
His  heart." 

927.  /  will  not  again  curse  the  ground  any  'more  on  man's 
account.     That  this  signifies  that  man  would  not  any  more  so 
turn  away,  as  did  the  man  of  the  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  before  about  this 
posterity.     That  "  to  curse"  signifies  in  the  internal  sense  to 
turn  one's  self  away,  may  be  seen  above  (n.  223,  245).     How 
the  case  is  with  this  and  with  what  follows  :  that  man  would 
not  any  more  so  turn  away,  as  did  the  man  of  the  Most  An- 
cient Church,  and  that  he  would  not  again  be  able  so  to  de- 
stroy himself,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  already  said  about 


N.  927]  CHAPTER   VHI.  VER.  21  455 

the  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  who  perished,  and 
about  the  new  church  which  is  called  "Noah."  [2]  It  has 
been  shown  that  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  was  so 
constituted  that  the  will  and  understanding  with  him  formed 
one  mind,  or  that  with  him  love  was  implanted  in  his  will  part, 
and  thus  at  the  same  time  faith,  which  filled  the  other  or  in- 
tellectual part  of  his  mind.  From  this  their  posterity  inherited 
the  condition  that  the  will  and  the  understanding  made  a  one ; 
and  therefore  when  the  love  of  self  and  the  consequent  insane 
cupidities  began  to  take  possession  of  their  will  part  (where 
previously  there  had  been  love  to  the  Lord  and  charity  toward 
the  neighbor),  not  only  did  their  will  part  or  will  become  ut- 
terly perverted,  but  so  also  together  with  it  did  their  intellec- 
tual part  or  understanding,  and  this  was  still  more  the  case 
when  the  last  posterity  immersed  their  falsities  in  their  cupidi- 
ties, and  so  became  "Nephilim,"  for  thereby  they  became  of 
such  a  nature  that  they  could  not  be  restored,  because  both 
parts  of  the  mind  (that  is,  the  whole  mind)  had  been  ruined. 
But  as  this  had  been  foreseen  by  the  Lord,  He  had  also  pro- 
vided for  man's  upbuilding,  in  this  way,  that  he  might  be  re- 
formed and  regenerated  in  respect  to  the  second  or  intellectual 
part  of  the  mind,  in  which  there  might  be  implanted  a  new 
will  which  is  conscience,  and  through  which  the  Lord  might 
work  the  good  of  love  (that  is,  of  charity),  and  the  truth  of 
faith.  Thus  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy  has  man  been  restored. 
These  are  the  things  that  are  signified  in  this  verse  by,  "  I  will 
not  again  curse  the  ground  any  more  on  man's  account ;  be- 
cause the  imagination  of  man's  heart  is  evil  from  his  youth ; 
neither  will  I  smite  any  more  everything  living,  as  I  have 
done." 

928.  Because  the  imagination  of  man's  heart  is  evil  from 
his  youth.  That  this  signifies  that  man's  will  part  is  utterly 
evil,  is  evident  from  what  has  just  been  said.  The  "  imagina- 
tion of  the  heart"  signifies  nothing  else.  Man  supposes  that 
he  has  a  will  for  what  is  good,  but  he  is  quite  mistaken.  When 
he  does  good,  it  is  not  from  his  will,  but  from  a  new  will  which 
is  the  Lord's ;  thus  it  is  from  the  Lord  that  he  does  it.  Con- 
sequently when  he  thinks  and  speaks  what  is  true,  it  is  from 
a  new  understanding,  which  is  from  the  new  will,  and  it  is 


456  GENESIS  [N.  928 

from  the  Lord  that  he  does  this  also.  For  the  regenerate  man 
is  an  altogether  new  man  formed  by  the  Lord,  and  this  is  why 
he  is  said  to  be  created  anew. 

929.  Neither  will  I  again  smite  any  more  everything  living, 
as  I  have  done.     That  this  signifies  that  man  would  not  be 
able  any  more  so  to  destroy  himself,  is  now  evident,  for  such 
is  the  case  when  man  is  regenerated,  seeing  that  he  is  then 
withheld  from  the  evil  and  falsity  that  is  with  him,  and  then 
perceives  no  otherwise  than  that  he  does  what  is  good  and 
thinks  what  is  true  from  himself.    This  however  is  an  appear- 
ance, or  fallacy,  owing  to  his  being  withheld  (as  indeed  he  is, 
powerfully),  and  in  consequence  of  being  thus  withheld  from 
evil  and  falsity,  he  cannot  destroy  himself ;  but  if  he  were  in 
the  least  let  go,  or  left  to  himself,  he  would  rush  into  all  evil 
and  falsity. 

930.  Verse  22.  During  all  the  days  of  the  earth,  seed-time 
and  harvest,  and  cold  and  heat,  and  summer  and  winter,  and 
day  and  night,  shall  not  cease.     "  During  all  the  days  of  the 
earth,"  signifies  all  time ;  "  seed-tune  and  harvest,"  signifies 
the  man  who  is  to  be  regenerated,  and  hence  the  church ;  "  cold 
and  heat,"  signifies  the  state  of  the  man  when  he  is  being  re- 
generated, which  is  like  this  in  respect  to  the  reception  of  faith 
and  charity ;  "  cold,"  signifies  no  faith  and  charity, "  heat,"  faith 
and  charity ;  "  summer  and  winter,"  signifies  the  state  of  the 
regenerate  man  in  respect  to  what  is  of  his  new  will,  the  alter- 
nations of  which  are  as  summer  and  winter ;  "  day  and  night," 
signifies  the  state  of  the  same  regenerate  man  in  respect  to 
what  is  of  his  understanding,  the  alternations  of  which  are  as 
day  and  night ;  "  shall  not  cease,"  means  that  this  shall  be  the 
case  in  all  time. 

931.  During  all  the  days  of  the  earth.     That  this  signifies 
all  time,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  day,"  as  being  a 
time  (see  n.  23,  487,  488,  493) ;  wherefore  "  the  days  of  the 
earth,"  here  mean  all  time  so  long  as  there  is  earth  (terra),  or 
inhabitant  upon  the  earth  (tellure).    An  inhabitant  first  ceases 
to  be  on  the  earth  when  there  is  no  longer  any  church.     For 
when  there  is  no  church,  there  is  no  longer  any  communica- 
tion of  man  with  heaven,  and  when  this  communication  ceases, 
every  inhabitant  perishes.     As  we  have  seen  before,  it  is  with 


N.  931]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  22  457 

the  church  as  with  the  heart  and  lungs  in  man  :  so  long  as  the 
heart  and  lungs  are  sound,  so  long  the  man  lives ;  and  such 
also  is  the  case  with  the  Grand  Man,  which  is  the  universal 
heaven,  so  long  as  the  church  lives ;  and  therefore  it  is  here 
said  "  during  all  the  days  of  the  earth,  seed-time  and  harvest, 
and  cold  and  heat,  and  summer  and  winter,  and  day  and  night 
shall  not  cease."  From  this  it  also  may  appear  that  the  earth 
will  not  endure  to  eternity,  but  that  it  too  will  have  its  end  ; 
for  it  is  said,  "  during  all  the  days  of  the  earth,"  that  is,  as 
long  as  the  earth  endures.  [2]  But  as  to  believing  that  the 
end  of  the  earth  will  be  the  same  thing  as  the  last  judgment, 
foretold  in  the  Word — where  the  consummation  of  the  age, 
the  day  of  visitation,  and  the  last  judgment  are  described — 
this  is  a  mistake ;  for  there  is  a  last  judgment  of  every  church 
when  it  has  been  vastated,  or  when  there  is  no  longer  in  it  any 
faith.  The  last  judgment  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  was 
when  it  perished,  as  in  its  last  posterity  just  before  the  flood. 
The  last  judgment  of  the  Jewish  Church  was  when  the  Lord 
came  into  the  world.  There  will  also  be  a  last  judgment  when 
the  Lord  shall  come  in  glory ;  not  that  the  earth  and  the  world 
are  then  to  perish,  but  that  the  church  perishes ;  and  then  a 
new  church  is  always  raised  up  by  the  Lord ;  as  at  the  time 
of  the  flood  was  the  Ancient  Church,  and  at  the  time  of  the 
coming  of  the  Lord  the  primitive  church  of  the  Gentiles.  [3] 
So  also  will  there  be  a  new  church  when  the  Lord  shall  come  in 
glory,  which  is  also  meant  by  the  new  heaven  and  new  earth, 
in  like  manner  as  with  every  regenerate  man,  who  becomes 
a  man  of  the  church,  or  a  church,  and  whose  internal  man, 
when  he  has  been  created  anew,  is  called  a  new  heaven,  and 
his  external  man  a  new  earth.  Moreover  there  is  also  a  last, 
judgment  for  every  man  when  he  dies,  for  then,  according  to 
'.vhat  he  has  done  in  the  body,  he  is  adjudged  either  to  death 
or  to  life.  That  nothing  else  is  meant,  consequently  not  the 
destruction  of  the  world,  by  the  consummation  of  the  age,  the 
end  of  days,  or  the  last  judgment,  is  clearly  evident  from  the 
words  of  the  Lord  in  Luke : — 

In  that  night  there  shall  be  two  men  in  one  bed ;  the  one  shall  be 
taken  and  the  other  shall  be  left ;  there  shall  be  two  women  grinding 
together,  the  one  shall  be  taken,  and  the  other  shall  be  left  (xvii.  34-36), 


458  GENESIS  [N.  931 

where  the  last  time  is  called  "  night,"  because  there  is  no  faith, 
that  is,  no  charity ;  and  where  by  some  being  "  left"  it  is  clearly 
indicated  that  the  world  will  not  then  perish. 

932.  That  "  seed-time  and  harvest"  signify  man  who  is  to 
be  regenerated,  and  thus  the  church,  there  is  no  need  to  con- 
firm from  the  Word,  because  it  occurs  so  often  that  man  is  com- 
pared and  likened  to  a  field,  and  thus  to  a  sowing  or  seed-time, 
and  the  Word  of  the  Lord  to  seed,  and  the  effect  to  the  produce 
or  harvest,  as  every  one  comprehends  from  the  forms  of  speech 
thus  made  familiar.     In  general  every  man  is  here  treated  of — 
that  there  never  will  be  lacking  to  him  the  sowing  of  seed  from 
the  Lord,  whether  he  be  within  the  church  or  without ;  that  is, 
whether  he  be  acquainted  with  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  or  be  not 
acquainted  with  it.     Without  seed  sown  by  the  Lord,  man  can 
do  nothing  of  good.     All  the  good  of  charity,  even  with  the 
Gentiles,  is  seed  from  the  Lord ;  and  although  with  these  there 
is  not  the  good  of  faith,  as  there  may  be  within  the  church,  yet 
there  may  come  the  good  of  faith ;  for  in  the  other  life  those 
Gentiles  who  have  lived  in  charity,  as  Gentiles  are  wont  to  do 
in  this  world,  when  instructed  by  angels,  embrace  and  receive 
the  doctrine  of  true  faith  and  the  faith  of  charity  much  more 
easily  than  do  Christians ;  concerning  which,  of  the  Lord's 
Divine  mercy  hereafter.     Specifically,  however,  the  subject 
treated  of  here  is  the  man  who  is  to  be  regenerated,  that  is  to 
say.  that  there  will  be  no  such  thing  as  a  failure  of  the  church 
to  come  forth  somewhere  on  the  earth,  which  is  here  signified 
by  there  being  seed-time  and  harvest  all  the  days  of  the  earth. 
That  seed-time  and  harvest,  or  the  church,  will  always  come 
into  existence,  has  regard  to  what  was  said  in  the  preceding 
verse,  namely,  that  man  will  no  more  be  able  so  to  destroy  him- 
self as  was  done  by  the  last  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church. 

933.  That  "cold  and  heat"  signifies  the  state  of  man  when 
he  is  being  regenerated,  which  is  like  this  in  regard  to  the  re- 
ception of  faith  and  charity,  and  that  "  cold"  signifies  no  faith 
and  charity,  and  "  heat"  charity,  is  evident  from  the  significa- 
tion of  "  cold"  and  "  heat"  in  the  Word,  where  they  are  predi- 
cated of  a  man  about  to  be  regenerated,  or  being  regenerated, 
or  of  the  church.     The  same  is  also  evident  from  the  connec- 


N.  933]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  22  459 

tion,  that  is,  from  what  precedes  and  what  follows ;  for  the 
subject  is  the  church  (in  the  preceding  verse  that  man  would 
not  again  be  able  so  to  destroy  himself,  in  this  verse  that  some 
church  will  always  come  into  existence),  which  is  first  de- 
scribed as  to  the  way  it  comes  into  existence,  that  is,  when  the 
man  is  being  regenerated  so  as  to  become  a  church,  and  then  the 
quality  of  the  regenerated  man  is  treated  of ;  so  that  the  treat- 
ment of  the  subject  covers  every  state  of  the  man  of  the  church. 
[2]  That  his  state  when  regenerated  is  as  described,  namely,  a 
state  of  cold  and  heat,  or  of  no  faith  and  charity,  and  again  of 
faith  and  charity,  may  not  be  so  evident  to  any  one  except  from 
experience,  and  indeed  from  reflection  in  regard  to  the  experi- 
ence. And  because  there  are  few  who  are  being  regenerated, 
and  among  those  who  are  being  regenerated  few  if  any  who  re- 
flect, or  who  are  able  to  reflect  on  the  state  of  their  regener- 
ation, we  may  say  a  few  words  on  the  subject.  When  man  is 
being  regenerated,  he  receives  life  from  the  Lord ;  for  before 
this  he  cannot  be  said  to  have  lived,  the  life  of  the  world  and 
of  the  body  not  being  life,  but  only  that  which  is  heavenly  and 
spiritual.  Through  regeneration  man  receives  real  life  from 
the  Lord ;  and  because  he  had  no  life  before,  there  is  an  alter- 
nation of  no  life  and  of  real  life,  that  is,  of  no  faith  and 
charity,  and  of  some  faith  and  charity ;  no  charity  and  faith 
being  here  signified  by  "  cold,"  and  some  faith  and  charity  by 
"heat."  [3]  As  regards  this  subject  the  case  is  this:  When- 
ever man  is  in  his  corporeal  and  worldly  things,  there  is  then 
no  faith  and  charity,  that  is,  there  is  "  cold,"  for  then  corporeal 
and  worldly  things,  consequently  those  which  are  his  own,  are 
at  work,  and  so  long  as  the  man  is  in  these,  he  is  absent  or 
remote  from  faith  and  charity,  so  that  he  does  not  even  think 
about  heavenly  and  spiritual  things.  The  reason  of  this  is  that 
heavenly  and  corporeal  things  can  never  be  together  in  a  man, 
for  man's  will  has  been  utterly  ruined.  But  when  the  things 
of  man's  body  and  will  are  not  at  work,  but  are  quiescent,  then 
the  Lord  works  through  his  internal  man,  and  then  he  is  in 
faith  and  charity,  which  is  here  called  "  heat."  When  he  again 
returns  into  the  body  he  is  again  in  cold ;  and  when  the  body, 
or  what  is  of  the  body,  is  quiescent,  and  as  nothing,  he  is  then 
in  heat,  and  so  on  in  alternation.  For  such  is  the  condition  of 


460  GENESIS  [N.  933 

man  that  heavenly  and  spiritual  things  cannot  be  in  him  along 
with  his  corporeal  and  worldly  things,  but  there  are  alterna- 
tions. This  is  what  takes  place  with  every  one  who  is  to  be 
regenerated,  and  it  goes  on  as  long  as  he  is  in  a  state  of  regen- 
eration ;  for  in  no  other  way  is  it  possible  for  man  to  be  re- 
generated, that  is,  from  being  dead  to  be  made  alive,  for  the 
reason,  as  already  said,  that  his  will  has  been  utterly  ruined, 
and  is  therefore  completely  separated  from  the  new  will,  which 
he  receives  from  the  Lord  and  which  is  the  Lord's  and  not  the 
man's.  Hence  now  it  is  evident  what  is  here  signified  by 
"  cold  and  heat."  [4]  That  such  is  the  case  every  regenerated 
man  may  know  from  experience,  that  is  to  say,  that  when  he  is 
in  corporeal  and  worldly  things,  he  is  absent  and  remote  from 
internal  things,  so  that  he  not  only  takes  no  thought  about 
them,  but  feels  in  himself  cold  at  the  thought  of  them ;  but 
that  when  corporeal  and  worldly  things  are  quiescent,  he  is  in 
faith  and  charity.  He  may  also  know  from  experience  that 
these  states  alternate,  and  that  therefore  when  corporeal  and 
worldly  things  begin  to  be  in  excess  and  to  want  to  rule,  he 
comes  into  straits  and  temptations,  until  he  is  reduced  into 
such  a  state  that  the  external  man  becomes  compliant  to  the 
internal,  a  compliance  it  can  never  render  until  it  is  quiescent 
and  as  it  were  nothing.  The  last  posterity  of  the  Most  An- 
cient Church  could  not  be  regenerated,  because,  as  before  said, 
with  them  the  things  of  the  understanding  and  of  the  will 
constituted  one  mind ;  and  therefore  the  things  of  their  under- 
standing could  not  be  separated  from  those  of  their  will,  so 
that  they  might  hi  this  manner  be  by  turns  in  heavenly  and 
spiritual  things,  and  in  corporeal  and  worldly  things ;  but 
they  had  continual  cold  in  regard  to  heavenly  things  and  con- 
tinual heat  in  regard  to  cupidities,  so  that  they  could  have  no 
alternation. 

934.  That  "  cold"  signifies  no  love,  or  no  charity  and  faith, 
and  that  "  heat,"  or  "  fire,"  signifies  love,  or  charity  and  faith, 
is  evident  from  the  following  passages  in  the  Word.  In  John 
it  is  said  to  the  church  in  Laodicea : — 

I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot ;  I  would  thou 
wert  cold  or  hot ;  so  because  thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold  nor 
hot,  I  will  spew  thee  out  of  My  mouth  (Rev.  iii.  15,  16), 


N.  934]  CHAPTER   VIII.  VER.  22  461 

where  "  cold"  denotes  no  charity,  and  "  hot"  much  charity.  In 
Isaiah : — 

Thus  hath  Jehovah  said  unto  me,  I  will  be  still,  and  I  will  behold  in 
My  place  ;  like  the  clear  heat  upon  the  light,  like  a  cloud  of  dew  in  the 
heat  of  harvest  (xviii.  4), 

where  the  subject  is  the  new  church  to  be  planted ;  "  heat 
upon  the  light,"  and  "  heat  of  harvest,"  denote  love  and  char- 
ity. Again : — 

Saith  Jehovah,  whose  fire  is  in  Zion,  and  His  furnace  in  Jerusalem 
(xxxi.  9), 

where  "fire"  denotes  love.  Of  the  cherubim  seen  by  Ezekiel 
it  is  said  : — 

As  for  the  likeness  of  the  living  creatures,  their  appearance  was  like 
burning  coals  of  fire,  like  the  appearance  of  torches  ;  it  went  up  and 
down  among  the  living  creatures  ;  and  the  fire  was  bright,  and  out  of 
the  fire  went  forth  lightning  (Ezek.  i.  13). 

[2]  And  again  it  is  said  of  the  Lord,  in  the  same  chapter  :— 

And  above  the  expanse  that  was  over  their  heads  was  the  likeness  of 
a  throne,  as  the  appearance  of  a  sapphire  stone  ;  and  upon  the  likeness 
of  a  throne  was  a  likeness  as  the  appearance  of  a  man  above  upon  it ; 
and  I  saw  as  the  appearance  of  burning  coal,  as  the  appearance  of  fire 
within  it  round  about,  from  the  appearance  of  His  loins  and  upward  ; 
and  from  the  appearance  of  His  loins  and  downward  I  saw  as  it  were  the 
appearance  of  tire,  and  there  was  brightness  round  about  Him  (i.  26,  27  ; 
viii.  2). 

Here  again  "  fire"  denotes  love.     In  Daniel : — 

The  Ancient  of  days  did  sit ;  His  throne  was  flames  of  fire,  and  the 
wheels  thereof  burning  fire  ;  a  fiery  stream  issued  and  came  forth  from 
before  Him,  a  thousand  thousands  ministered  unto  Hun,  and  ten  thou- 
sand times  ten  thousand  stood  before  Him  (vii.  9,  10). 

Here  "fire"  denotes  the  Lord's  love.     In  Zechariah: — 

For  I,  saith  Jehovah,  will  be  unto  her  a  wall  of  fire  round  about 
<ii.  6), 

where  the  new  Jerusalem  is  treated  of.     In  David : — 

Jehovah  maketh  His  angels  spirits,  His  ministers  a  flaming  fire  (P*. 
civ.  4), 

"  a  flaming  fire"  denoting  the  celestial  spiritual.  [3]  Because 
"  fire"  signified  love,  fire  was  also  made  a  representative  of  the 


— 1 
/ 


462  GENESIS  [N.  934 

Lord,  as  is  evident  from  the  fire  on  the  altar  of  burnt-offering, 
which  was  never  to  be  extinguished  (Lev.  vi.  12,  13),  repre- 
senting the  mercy  of  the  Lord.  On  this  account,  before  Aaron 
went  in  to  the  mercy-seat,  he  was  to  burn  incense  with  fire 
taken  from  the  altar  of  burnt-offering  (Lev.  xvi.  12-14).  And 
for  the  same  reason,  that  it  might  be  signified  that  worship 
was  accepted  by  the  Lord,  fire  was  sent  down  from  heaven  and 
consumed  the  burnt-offering  (as  in  Lev.  ix.  24,  and  elsewhere). 
By  "  fire"  is  also  signified  in  the  Word  self-love  and  its  cu- 
pidity, with  which  heavenly  love  cannot  agree ;  and  therefore 
the  two  sons  of  Aaron  were  consumed  by  fire,  because  they 
burned  incense  with  strange  fire  (Lev.  x.  1,  2).  "  Strange  fire" 
is  all  the  love  of  self  and  of  the  world,  and  all  the  cupidity  of 
these  loves.  Moreover  heavenly  love  appears  to  the  wicked 
no  otherwise  than  as  a  burning  and  consuming  fire,  and  there- 
fore in  the  Word  a  consuming  fire  is  predicated  of  the  Lord, 
as  the  fire  on  Mount  Sinai,  which  represented  the  love,  or 
mercy,  of  the  Lord,  and  that  was  seen  by  the  people  as  a  con- 
suming fire,  and  therefore  they  desired  Moses  not  to  let  them 
hear  the  voice  of  Jehovah  God,  and  see  that  great  fire,  lest 
they  should  die  (Dent,  xviii.  16).  The  love  or  mercy  of  the 
Lord  has  this  appearance  to  those  who  are  in  the  fire  of  the 
loves  of  self  and  of  the  world. 

935.  That  "summer  and  winter"  signify  the  state  of  the 
regenerate  man  as  to  his  new  will,  the  alternations  of  which 
are  as  summer  and  winter,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said 
about  cold  and  heat.  The  alternations  with  those  who  are  to 
be  regenerated  are  likened  to  cold  and  heat,  but  the  alterna- 
tions with  those  who  have  been  regenerated  are  likened  to 
summer  and  winter.  That  in  the  former  case  the  man  who  is 
to  be  regenerated  is  treated  of,  and  in  the  present  case  the 
man  who  has  been  regenerated,  is  evident  from  this,  that  in 
the  one  case  cold  is  named  first,  and  heat  second ;  whereas  in 
the  other  case  summer  is  first  named,  and  winter  second.  The 
reason  is  that  a  man  who  is  being  regenerated  begins  from  cold, 
that  is,  from  no  faith  and  charity ;  but  when  he  has  been  re- 
generated, he  begins  from  charity.  [2]  That  there  are  alter- 
nations with  the  regenerate  man — now  no  charity,  and  now 
some  charity — is  clearly  evident  for  the  reason  that  in  every 


IS.  935]  CHAPTER   VIH.  VER.  22  463 

one,  even  when  regenerated,  there  is  nothing  but  evil,  and 
everything  good  is  the  Lord's  alone.  And  since  there  is 
nothing  but  evil  in  him,  he  cannot  but  undergo  alternations 
and  now  be  as  it  were  in  summer,  that  is,  in  charity,  and  now 
in  winter,  that  is,  in  no  charity.  Such  alternations  exist  in 
order  that  man  may  be  perfected  more  and  more,  and  thus  be 
rendered  more  and  more  happy,  and  they  take  place  with  the 
regenerate  man  not  only  while  he  lives  in  the  body,  but  also 
when  he  comes  into  the  other  life,  for  without  alternations  as 
of  summer  and  winter  as  to  what  is  of  his  will,  and  as  of  day 
and  night  as  to  what  is  of  his  understanding,  he  cannot  possi- 
bly be  perfected  and  rendered  more  happy ;  but  in  the  other 
life  these  alternations  are  like  those  of  summer  and  winter  in 
the  temperate  zones,  and  those  of  day  and  night  in  spring- 
time. [3]  These  states  are  also  described  in  the  Prophets  by 
"  summer  and  winter,"  and  by  "  day  and  night ;"  as  in  Zecha- 
riah : — 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day  that  Hying  waters  shall  go  out 
from  Jerusalem  ;  half  of  them  toward  the  eastern  sea,  and  half  of  them 
toward  the  western  sea  ;  in  summer  and  in  winter  shall  it  be  (xiv.  8), 

where  the  New  Jerusalem  is  treated  of,  or  the  kingdom  of  the 
Lord  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  that  is,  its  state  of  both  kinds, 
which  is  called  "  summer  and  winter."  In  David : — 

The  day  is  Thine,  the  night  also  is  Thine ;  Thou  hast  prepared  the 
light  and  the  sun,  Thou  hast  set  all  the  borders  of  the  earth,  Thou  hast 
made  summer  and  winter  (Ps.  Ixxiv.  16,  17), 

where  like  things  are  involved.     So  in  Jeremiah : — 

That  the  covenant  of  the  day,  and  the  covenant  of  the  night  be  not 
made  vain,  that  there  may  be  day  and  night  in  their  season  (xxxiii.  20). 

936.  That  "  day  and  night"  signify  the  state  of  the  same, 
that  is,  of  the  regenerate  man,  as  to  the  things  of  the  under- 
standing, the  alternations  of  which  are  as  day  and  night,  is 
evident  from  what  has  just  been  said.  "  Summer  and  winter" 
are  predicated  of  what  is  of  the  will,  from  their  cold  and  heat ; 
for  so  it  is  with  the  things  of  the  will.  But  "  day  and  night" 
are  predicated  of  what  is  of  the  understanding,  from  their  light 
and  darkness ;  for  so  it  is  with  the  things  of  the  understanding. 


464  GENESIS  [N.  936 

As  these  things  are  self-evident,  there  is  no  need  to  confirm 
them  by  other  like  passages  from  the  Word. 

937.  From  all  this  it  is  evident  what  the  nature  of  the  Lord's 
Word  is  in  the  internal  sense.  In  the  sense  of  the  letter  it 
appears  so  unpolished  as  to  give  no  hint  of  anything  being 
spoken  of  but  seed-time  and  harvest,  cold  and  heat,  summer  and 
winter,  and  day  and  night,  when  yet  all  these  things  involve 
arcana  of  the  Ancient,  that  is,  of  the  Spiritual,  Church.  The 
very  words  in  the  sense  of  the  letter  are  of  this  character,  thus 
are  so  to  speak  most  general  vessels,  each  one  of  which  contains 
so  many  and  such  great  arcana  of  heaven  as  to  be  inexhausti- 
ble even  as  to  the  one  ten -thousandth  part  of  it ;  for  in  these 
most  general  words,  taken  as  they  are  from  earthly  things,  the 
angels — from  the  Lord — can  see,  in  illimitable  variety,  the 
whole  process  of  regeneration,  and  the  state  of  the  man  who  is 
to  be  and  who  has  been  regenerated,  while  man  can  see  scarcely 
anything. 


CONTINUATION  CONCERNING  THE  HELLS. 

HEBE,  CONCERNING  THE  HELLS  OF  THE  AVARICIOUS,  THE  FILTHY 
JERUSALEM,  AND  THE  ROBBERS  IN  A  DESERT.  ALSO  CON- 
CERNING THE  EXCREMENTITIOUS  HELLS  OF  THOSE  WHO  HAVE 
LIVED  IN  MERE  PLEASURES. 

938.  The  avaricious  are  of  all  men  the  most  sordid,  and 
think  the  least  about  the  life  after  death,  the  soul,  and  the  in- 
ternal man.  They  do  not  even  know  what  heaven  is,  because 
of  all  men  they  least  elevate  their  thoughts,  but  sink  them  and 
immerse  them  wholly  in  corporeal  and  earthly  things.  Where- 
fore when  they  come  into  the  other  life  they  do  not  know  for 
a  long  time  that  they  are  spirits,  but  suppose  that  they  are  still 
altogether  in  the  body.  The  ideas  of  their  thought  which  from 
their  avarice  have  become  as  it  were  corporeal  and  earthly,  are 
turned  into  direful  phantasies.  It  seems  incredible,  yet  is 
true,  that  in  the  other  life  the  sordidly  avaricious  seem  to  them- 
selves to  be  busy  in  cellars  where  their  money  is,  and  to  be  in- 


N.  983]  HELL  465 

fested  there  by  mice ;  yet  however  they  may  be  infested  they 
do  not  withdraw  until  they  are  wearied  out,  and  so  at  last  they 
work  their  way  out  of  these  tombs. 

939.  What  sordid  phantasies  the  ideas  of  thought  of  those 
who  have  been  sordidly  avaricious  are  turned  into,  is  evident 
from  their  hell,  which  is  deep  under  foot.     A  vapor  exhales 
from  it  like  that  from  hogs  whose  bristles  are  being  scraped  off 
in  a  scalding  trough.     There  are  the  homes  of  the  avaricious. 
Those  who  come  thither  at  first  appear  black,  but  by  the  scraping 
off  of  their  hair,  as  is  done  with  hogs,  they  seem  to  themselves 
to  become  white.    So  they  then  appear  to  themselves,  but  still 
there  remains  therefrom  a  mark  by  which  they  are  known 
wherever  they  go.     A  certain  black  spirit  who  had  not  yet 
been  brought  to  his  own  hell,  because  he  had  to  make  a  longer 
stay  in  the  world  of  spirits,  being  let  down  thither  (although 
he  had  not  been  so  avaricious  as  the  rest,  and  yet  had  in  his 
lifetime  wickedly  panted  for  the  wealth  of  others),  on  his  arri- 
val the  avaricious  there  fled  away,  saying  that  he  was  a  robber, 
because  he  was  black,  and  would  kill  them.     For  the  avari- 
cious flee  from  such  spirits,  being  especially  fearful  of  losing 
their  lives.     At  length,  having  found  out  that  he  was  not  such 
a  robber,  they  told  him  that  if  he  wished  to  become  white  he 
merely  had  to  have  the  hair  taken  off,  like  the  swine — which 
were  in  full  view — and  then  he  would  be  white.     But  as  he  did 
not  desire  this,  he  was  taken  up  among  spirits. 

940.  In  this  hell  are  for  the  most  part  Jews  who  have  been 
sordidly  avaricious,  whose  presence  too  when  they  come  to 
other  spirits  is  perceived  as  the  stench  of  mice.     In  regard  to 
the  Jews  something  may  be  said  about  their  cities  and  the  rob- 
bers in  the  desert,  to  show  how  miserable  is  their  state  after 
death,  especially  that  of  those  who  have  been  sordidly  avari- 
cious and  have  despised  others  in  comparison  with  themselves 
in  consequence  of  their  inborn  arrogance  in  thinking  themselves 
to  be  the  only  chosen  people.     In  consequence  of  having  con- 
ceived and  confirmed  in  themselves,  during  their  life  in  the 
body,  the  phantasy  that  they  shall  go  to  Jerusalem,  and  the 
Holy  Land,  to  possess  it  (not  being  disposed  to  understand 
that  by  the  New  Jerusalem  is  meant  the  Lord's  kingdom  in  the 
heavens  and  on  earth),  there  appears  to  them,  when  they  come 

VOL   I.— 30 


466  GENESIS  [N.  940 

into  the  other  world,  a  city  on  the  left  of  Gehenna,  a  little  in 
front,  to  which  they  flock  in  crowds.  This  city,  however,  being 
miry  and  fetid,  is  called  the  filthy  Jerusalem ;  and  here  they 
run  about  the  streets,  over  the  ankles  in  dirt  and  mud,  pouring 
out  complaints  and  lamentations.  They  see  these  cities — in- 
deed I  have  sometimes  seen  them  myself — and  the  streets 
therein,  with  all  their  defilements,  represented  as  in  open  day. 
There  once  appeared  to  me  a  certain  spirit  of  a  dusky  hue 
coming  from  this  filthy  Jerusalem,  the  gate  seeming  as  it  were 
to  be  opened.  He  was  encompassed  about  with  wandering 
stars,  especially  on  his  left  side ;  wandering  stars  around  a 
spirit  signifying  in  the  spiritual  world  falsities,  but  it  is  dif- 
ferent when  the  stars  are  not  wandering.  He  approached,  and 
applied  himself  to  the  upper  part  of  my  left  ear,  which  he 
seemed  to  touch  with  his  mouth,  in  order  to  speak  with  me ; 
but  he  did  not  speak  in  a  sonorous  tone  of  voice  like  others, 
but  within  himself,  nevertheless  in  such  a  manner  that  I  could 
hear  and  understand.  He  said  that  he  was  a  Jewish  Kabbi, 
adding  that  he  had  been  in  that  miry  city  for  a  long  time,  and 
that  the  streets  thereof  were  nothing  but  mud  and  dirt.  He 
said  also  there  was  nothing  to  eat  in  it  but  dirt,  and  on  my 
asking  why  he  who  was  a  spirit  desired  to  eat,  he  replied  that 
he  did  eat,  and  that  when  he  desired  to  eat,  nothing  was  offered 
him  but  mud,  which  grieved  him  exceedingly.  He  inquired 
what  he  must  do,  having  in  vain  tried  to  meet  with  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob.  I  related  to  him  some  particulars  respecting 
them,  informing  him  it  was  in  vain  to  seek  for  them,  and  that 
even  if  they  were  found,  they  could  not  possibly  afford  him  any 
assistance.  After  adverting  to  matters  of  deeper  import,  I  said 
that  no  one  ought  to  be  sought  after  but  the  Lord  alone,  who 
is  the  Messiah  whom  they  had  despised  on  earth ;  and  that  He 
rules  the  universal  heaven  and  the  universal  earth,  and  that 
help  comes  from  Him  alone.  He  then  asked  anxiously  and  re- 
peatedly where  the  Lord  was.  I  replied  that  He  is  to  be  found 
everywhere,  and  that  He  hears  and  knows  all  men.  But  at 
that  instant  other  Jewish  spirits  drew  him  away. 

941.  There  is  also  another  city  on  the  right  of  Gehenna,  or 
between  Gehenna  and  the  Lake,  where  the  better  sort  of  the 
Jews  seem  to  themselves  to  dwell.  But  this  city  is  changed 


N.  941]  HELL  467 

to  them  according  to  their  phantasies,  sometimes  being  turned 
into  villages,  at  others  into  a  lake,  and  again  into  a  city  :  and 
its  inhabitants  are  much  afraid  of  robbers,  but  so  long  as  they 
remain  in  the  city  they  are  secure.  Between  the  two  cities 
there  is  a  kind  of  triangular  space,  dark,  where  are  robbers, 
who  are  Jews,  but  of  the  worst  sort,  who  cruelly  torture  whom- 
soever they  meet.  The  Jews  out  of  fear  call  these  robbers  the 
Lord,  and  the  desert  in  which  they  reside  they  call  the  Land. 
As  a  security  against  the  robbers,  at  the  entrance  into  the  city, 
on  the  right,  there  is  a  good  spirit  stationed,  in  the  extreme 
corner,  who  receives  all  comers,  and  before  whom,  as  they  ar- 
rive, they  bow  themselves  toward  the  earth.  They  are  ad- 
mitted under  his  feet,  this  being  the  ceremony  of  admittance 
into  this  city.  A  certain  spirit  approaching  me  suddenly,  I 
demanded  whence  he  came  ?  He  replied  that  he  was  making 
his  escape  from  the  robbers,  whom  he  feared,  because  they  kill, 
slaughter,  burn,  and  boil  men,  inquiring  where  he  might  be 
safe.  I  asked  whence  and  from  what  country  he  came  ?  In 
his  terror  he  dared  not  give  me  any  other  answer  than  that  it 
was  the  Lord's  Land,  for  they  call  that  desert  the  Land,  and  the 
robbers  the  Lord.  Afterwards  the  robbers  presented  them- 
selves. They  were  very  black,  and  spoke  in  a  deep  tone  of 
voice  like  giants,  and,  strange  to  say,  when  they  come  they  in- 
duce a  sense  of  dread  and  horror.  I  asked  them  who  they 
were  ?  They  said  they  were  in  quest  of  plunder.  I  inquired 
what  they  meant  to  do  with  their  plunder,  and  whether  they 
did  not  know  that  they  were  spirits,  and  therefore  could  neither 
seize  upon  nor  amass  plunder,  and  that  such  notions  are  the 
phantasies  of  the  evil  ?  They  replied,  that  they  were  in  the 
desert  in  quest  of  booty,  and  that  they  torture  whomsoever 
they  meet.  At  last  they  acknowledged,  while  they  were  with 
me,  that  they  were  spirits,  but  still  could  not  be  brought  to 
believe  that  they  were  not  still  living  hi  the  body.  Those  who 
thus  wander  about  are  Jews,  who  threaten  to  kill,  slaughter, 
burn,  and  boil  whomsoever  they  meet,  even  though  they  are 
Jews,  and  friends.  Their  disposition  was  thus  made  known, 
although  hi  the  world  they  dare  not  divulge  it. 

942 .  Not  far  from  the  filthy  Jerusalem  there  is  still  another 
city,  which  is  called  the  Judgment  of  Gehenna,  where  those 


468  GENESIS  [N.  942 

dwell  who  claim  heaven  as  due  to  their  own  righteousness,  and 
condemn  others  who  do  not  live  according  to  their  phantasies. 
Between  this  city  and  Gehenna  there  appears  as  if  there  were 
a  rather  handsome  bridge,  of  a  pale  or  gray  color ;  where  there 
is  a  black  spirit,  whom  they  fear,  and  who  prevents  their  pass- 
ing over,  for  on  the  other  side  of  the  bridge  appears  Gehenna. 

943.  Those  who  in  the  life  of  the  body  have  made  mere 
pleasures  their  end  and  aim,  loving  merely  to  indulge  their 
natural  propensities,  and  to  live  in  luxury  and  festivity,  caring 
only  for  themselves  and  the  world,  without  any  regard  to  things 
Divine,  and  who  are  devoid  of  faith  and  charity,  are  after  death 
first  introduced  into  a  life  similar  to  that  which  they  had  in 
the  world.     There  is  a  place  in  front  toward  the  left,  at  a  con- 
siderable depth,  where  all  is  pleasure,  sports,  dancing,  feasting, 
and  chatting  together.     Hither  such  spirits  are  conveyed,  and 
then  they  know  no  otherwise  than  that  they  are  still  in  the 
world.     After  a  short  time  however  the  scene  is  changed,  and 
then   they  are   carried  down  to  a  hell  beneath  the  buttocks 
which  is  merely  excrementitious  ;  for  in  the  other  life  such  ex- 
clusively corporeal  pleasure  is  turned  into  what  is  excrementi- 
tious.    I  have  seen  them  there  carrying  dung  and  bemoaning 
their  lot. 

944.  Women  who  from  low  and  mean  condition  have  become 
rich,  and  in  their  pride  have  given  themselves  up  to  pleasures 
and  a  life  of  delicacy  and  ease,  reclining  on  couches  like  queens, 
sitting  at  tables  and  banquets,  and  caring  for  nothing  else, 
when  they  come  into  the  other  life  have  wretched  quarrels  with 
one  another— they  beat  and  tear  each  other,  they  drag  each 
other  by  the  hair,  and  become  like  furies. 

945.  It  is  otherwise  with  those  who  have  been  born  into  the 
pleasures  and  enjoyments  of  life,  and  who  have  been  educated 
in  such  things  from  childhood,  such  as  queens,  and  others  of 
noble  family,  and  also  those  of  wealthy  parentage.      These, 
though  they  have  lived  in  luxury,  splendor,  and  elegance,  pro- 
vided they  have  lived  at  the  same  time  in  faith  in  the  Lord  and 
charity  toward  the  neighbor,  are  among  the  happy  in  the  other 
life.     For  to  deprive  one's  self  of  the  enjoyments  of  life,  of 
power,  and  of  riches,  and  to  think  thus  to  merit  heaven  by 
wretchedness,  is  a  false  course.     But  to  esteem  pleasures  and 


N.  945]  HELL  469 

power  and  riches  as  nothing  in  comparison  with  the  Lord,  and 
the  life  of  the  world  as  nothing  in  comparison  with  heavenly 
life,  this  is  what  is  meant  in  the  Word  by  renouncing  these 
things. 

946.  I  have  spoken  with  spirits  concerning  the  fact  that 
possibly  few  will  believe  in  the  existence  of  so  many  and  such 
wonderful  things  in  the  other  life,  in  consequence  of  the  ab- 
sence of  any  but  a  very  general  and  obscure  conception — 
amounting  to  none  at  all — of  the  life  after  death,  and  in  which 
men  have  confirmed  themselves  by  the  consideration  that  they 
do  not  see  a  soul  or  spirit  with  their  eyes.  Even  the  learned, 
although  they  say  there  is  a  soul  or  spirit,  so  cleave  to  artificial 
words  and  terms — which  rather  obscure  or  even  extinguish  the 
understanding  of  things  than  assist  it — and  so  devote  them- 
selves to  self  and  the  world,  and  but  rarely  to  the  general  wel- 
fare and  to  heaven,  that  they  believe  still  less  than  do  sensuous 
men.  The  spirits  to  whom  I  spoke  marveled  that  men  should 
be  of  such  a  character,  seeing  that  they  are  well  aware  of  the 
existence  in  nature  itself,  and  in  each  of  its  kingdoms,  of  many 
wonderful  and  varied  things  about  which  they  are  ignorant,  as 
for  example  those  in  the  internal  human  ear,  concerning  which 
a  book  might  be  filled  with  things  amazing  and  unheard  of,  and 
in  the  existence  of  which  every  one  has  faith.  But  if  any- 
thing is  said  about  the  spiritual  world,  from  which  come  forth 
all  things  in  the  kingdoms  of  nature  both  in  general  and  in 
particular,  scarcely  any  one  gives  credence  to  it,  on  account — 
as  before  said — of  the  preconceived  and  confirmed  opinion  that 
because  it  is  not  seen  it  is  nothing. 


470  GENESIS  [N.  947 

CHAPTEE   THE   NINTH. 
CONTINUATION   CONCERNING   THE    HELLS. 

HEBE,  CONCERNING    OTHER    HELLS,  DISTINCT    FROM    THOSE    PRE- 
VIOUSLY   DESCRIBED. 

947.  Those  who  are  deceitful  and  who  suppose  that  they 
can  obtain  all  things  by  deceitful  craft,  and  who  have  con- 
firmed themselves  in  this  idea  by  their  success  in  the  life  of 
the  body,  seem  to  themselves  to  dwell  in  a  kind  of  tun  or  vat 
at  the  left,  which  is  called  the  Infernal  Tun,  over  which  there 
is  a  covering,  and  outside  of  it  a  small  globe  on  a  pyramidal 
base,  which  they  conceive  to  be  the  universe,  under  their  in- 
spection and  rule.     Precisely  thus  does  it  appear   to   them. 
Those  of  them  who  have  deceitfully  persecuted  the  innocent 
are  there  for  ages.     I  was  told  that  some  have  remained  there 
already  for  twenty  ages.*     When  they  are  let  out  they  are 
possessed  with  such  phantasy  that  they  suppose  the  universe 
to  be  a  globe  about  which  they  walk  and  which  they  trample 
with  their  feet,  believing  themselves  to  be  gods  of  the  uni- 
verse.   I  have  seen  them  at  times  and  spoken  with  them  about 
their  phantasy ;  but  as  they  had  been  of  this  nature  in  the 
world,  they  could  not  be  withdrawn  from  it.     I  have  also  at 
times  perceived  with  what  subtle  deceit  they  could  pervert  the 
thoughts,  turning  them  in  a  moment  in  other  directions,  and 
substituting  others,  so  that  it  could  hardly  be  known  that  it 
was  done  by  them,  and  this  so  naturally  as  to  be  beyond  belief. 
Being  of  this  character,  these  spirits  are  never  admitted  to  men, 
for  they  infuse  their  poison  so  clandestinely  and  secretly  as 
not  to  be  noticeable. 

948.  There  is  at  the  left  another  tun — as  it  appears  to 
them — in  which  are  some  who  in  the  life  of  the  body  had  sup- 
posed that  when  they  did  evil  they  did  good,  and  the  converse ; 
so  that  they  had  made  good  to  consist  in  evil.     These  remain 
there  for  a  while,  and  then  are  deprived  of  rationality,  on  the 
loss  of  which  they  are  as  if  asleep,  and  what  they  then  do  is 

*  An  age  (saeculum)  in  the  Word  is  ten  years.    (Seen.  433.)     [REVISER.] 


N.  948]  HELL  471 

not  imputed  to  them ;  but  yet  they  seem  to  themselves  to  be 
awake.  On  their  rationality  being  restored  to  them  they  re- 
turn to  themselves  and  are  as  other  spirits. 

949.  Toward  the  left  and  in  front  there  is  a  certain  cham- 
ber in  which  there  is  no  light,  but  mere  darkness,  from  which 
it  is  called  the  Dark  Chamber.    In  it  are  those  who  have  longed 
for  the  goods  of  others,  continually  hankering  after  them,  and 
also  whenever  possible  getting  possession  of  them  under  some 
specious  claim,  in  the  most  conscienceless  manner.     There  are 
some  there  who  when  they  lived  in  this  world  had  been  in 
stations  of  much  dignity,  but  had  based  the  respect  due  to 
sagacity  on  wily  practices.     In  that  chamber  they  consult 
together — just  as  when  they  lived  in  the  body — how  to  take 
other  people  in.     The  darkness  there  they  call  delicious.     I 
was  shown  the  appearance  of  those  who  are  there  and  had 
acted  fraudulently.     As  in  clear  daylight  I  saw  what  they  at 
last  come  to.     Their  faces  are  more  hideous  than  those  of  the 
dead,  ghastly  in  hue  like  a  corpse,  and  pitted  with  horrible 
cavities,  the  result  of  living  in  the  torment  of  anxiety. 

950.  There  was  a  phalanx  of  spirits  rising  up  from  the  side 
of  Gehenna  on  high  toward  the  front,  from  whose  sphere  it 
was  perceived — for  the  quality  of   spirits  may  be  perceived 
from  their  sphere  alone,  at  their  first  approach — that  they  ac- 
counted the  Lord  as  vile,  and  held  all  Divine  worship  in  con- 
tempt.    Their  speech  was  undulatory.     One  of  them  spoke  in 
a  scandalous  way  against  the  Lord,  and  was  at  once  cast  down 
toward  one  side  of  Gehenna.     They  were  being  carried  ^rom 
the  front  up  over  head,  in  the  endeavor  to  meet  with  some 
with  whom  they  might  conjoin  themselves  in  an  attempt  to 
reduce  others  to  subjection,  but  they  were  retarded  on  the 
way,  and  were  told  to  desist,  because  the  attempt  would  be 
hurtful  to  them,  so  they  came  to  a  halt.    Then  they  were  seen. 
They  had  black  faces,  and  had  a  white  bandage  round  their 
heads,  by  which  is  signified  that  they  regard  Divine  worship — 
and  therefore  the  Lord's  Word — as  black,  and  useful  only  to 
keep  the  vulgar  under  the  restraint  of  conscience.    Their  abode 
is  near  Gehenna,  where  are  flying  dragons,  not  venomous,  from 
which  it  is  called  the  Habitation  of  Dragons.     But  because 
they  are  not  deceitful,  their  hell  is  not  so  grievous.      Such 


472  GENESIS  [N.  960 

spirits  ascribe  all  things  to  themselves  and  their  own  prudence, 
and  boast  that  they  fear  no  one.  But  they  were  shown  that  a 
mere  hiss  would  terrify  them  and  put  them  to  flight,  for  on  a 
hiss  being  heard  they  thought  in  their  terror  that  all  hell  was 
rising  to  carry  them  off,  and  from  heroes  they  suddenly  be- 
came like  women. 

951.  Those  who  in  the  life  of  the  body  have  thought  them- 
selves holy,  are  in  the  lower  earth  before  the  left  foot.    At  times 
they  there  appear  to  themselves  to  have  a  shining  face,  which 
flows  from  their  idea  of  their  own  holiness.     But  the  outcome 
with  them  is  that  they  are  kept  in  the  most  intense  desire  to 
ascend  into  heaven,  which  they  suppose  to  be  on  high.     This 
desire  is  increased  and  is  turned  more  and  more  into  anxiety, 
which  grows  immensely  until  they  acknowledge  that  they  are 
not  holy ;  and  when  they  are  taken  out  of  that  place,  they  are 
enabled  to  perceive  their  own  stench,  which  is  very  offensive. 

952.  A  certain  spirit  supposed  that  he  had  lived  holily  in 
the  world  because  he  was  esteemed  as  holy  by  men  and  so 
merited  heaven.    He  said  that  he  had  led  a  pious  life,  and  had 
spent  much  time  in  prayer,  supposing  it  to  be  sufficient  for 
each  person  to  look  out  for  his  own  interests.     He  also  said 
that  he  was  a  sinner,  and  was  willing  to  suffer  even  to  being 
trodden    under   foot   by    others,    which   he    called    Christian 
patience ;  and  that  he  was  willing  to  be  the  least,  in  order 
that  he  might  become  the  greatest  in  heaven.    When  examined 
in  order  to  see  whether  he  had  performed  or  had  been  willing 
to  perform  anything  of  good,  that  is,  any  works  of  charity, 
he  said  that  he  did  not  know  what  these  were ;  but  only  that 
he  had  lived  a  holy  life.     But  because  he  had  as  his  end  his 
own  pre-eminence  over  others,  whom  he  accounted  vile  in  com- 
parison with  himself,  at  first,  because  he  supposed  himself  to 
be  holy  he  appeared  in  a  human  form  shining  white  down  to 
the  loins,  but  was  turned  first  to  a  dull  blue,  and  then  to  black ; 
and  as  he  desired  to  rule  over  others,  and  despised  them  in 
comparison    with   himself,   he   became   blacker   than    others. 
(Concerning  those  who  desire  to  be  greatest  in  heaven,  see 
above,  n.  450,  452.) 

953.  I  was  led  through  some  abodes  of  the  first  heaven, 
from  which  I  was  permitted  to  see  afar  off  a  great  sea  swelling 


N.  953]  HELL  473 

with  mighty  waves,  the  boundaries  of  which  stretched  beyond 
the  range  of  vision,  and  I  was  told  that  those  have  such  phan- 
tasies, and  see  such  a  sea,  with  fear  of  being  sunk  in  it,  who 
have  desired  to  be  great  in  the  world,  caring  nothing  whether 
by  right  or  by  wrong,  provided  they  could  secure  their  own 
glory  and  renown. 

954.  The  phantasies  which  have  been  indulged  in  the  life  of 
the  body  are  turned  in  the  next  life  into  others,  which  however 
correspond  to  the  first.     For  example,  with  those  who  have 
been  violent  and  merciless  on  earth,  their  violence  and  unmer- 
cifulness  are  turned  into  incredible  cruelty ;  and  they  seem  to 
themselves  to  kill  whatever  companions  they  meet,  and  to  tor- 
ture them  in  various  ways,  wherein  they  take  what  is  to  them 
the  greatest  possible  delight.     Those  who  have  been  blood- 
thirsty take  delight  in  torturing  other  spirits,  even  to  blood- 
shed, for  they  suppose  spirits  to  be  men,  not  knowing  other- 
wise.    At  the  sight  of  blood — for  such  is  their  phantasy  that 
they  as  it  were  see  blood — they  are  greatly  delighted.     From 
avarice  there  break  forth  phantasies  as  if  they  were  infested 
with  mice,  and  the  like,  according  to  the  species  of  avarice. 
Those  who  have  been  delighted  with  mere  pleasures,  having 
these  as  their  ultimate  end,  as  their  highest  good,  and  as  it 
were  their  heaven,  find  their  highest  delight  in   staying  in 
privies,  perceiving  there  what  is  most  enjoyable.     Some  take 
delight  in  urinous  and  noisome  pools,  some  in  miry  places,  and 
so  on. 

955.  Moreover  there  are  penalties  of  various  kinds  with 
which  in  the  other  life  the  evil  are  most  grievously  punished, 
and  into  which  they  run  when  they  return  to  their  foul  cupidi- 
ties, and  by  which  they  contract  shame,  terror,  and  horror  for 
such  things,  until  at  last  they  desist  from  them.     The  penal- 
ties are  various,  being  in  general  those  of  laceration,  of  dis- 
cerption  or  pulling  to  pieces,  of  sufferings  under  veils,  and 
many  others. 

956.  Those  who  are  tenacious  of  revenge  and  who  think 
themselves  greater  than  all  others,  regarding  them  as  of  no 
account  in  comparison  with  themselves,  suffer  the  punishment 
of  laceration  in  the  following  manner :  They  are  mangled  in 
face  and  body  until  there  is  scarcely  anything  human  left ;  the 


474  GENESIS  [N.  956 

face  becomes  like  a  broad  round  cake,  the  arms  look  like  rags, 
and  these  being  stretched  out,  the  man  is  whirled  around  on 
high  and  all  the  time  toward  heaven,  while  his  character  is 
proclaimed  in  the  presence  of  all  until  shame  penetrates  him 
to  the  inmost.  Thus,  a  suppliant,  he  is  compelled  *to  beg  for 
pardon  in  terms  that  are  dictated  to  him.  Afterwards  he  is 
carried  to  a  miry  lake,  which  is  near  the  filthy  Jerusalem,  and 
is  plunged  and  rolled  in  it  till  he  becomes  a  figure  of  mud ;  and 
this  is  done  repeatedly,  until  such  cupidity  is  taken  away.  In 
this  miry  lake  there  are  malicious  women  belonging  to  the 
province  of  the  bladder. 

957.  Those  who  in  the  life  of  the  body  have  contracted  a 
habit  of  saying  one   thing  and  thinking  another,  especially 
those  who  under  the  appearance  of  friendship  have  longed  for 
the  possessions  of  others,  wander  about,  and  wherever  they 
come  ask  whether  they  may  stay  there,  saying  that  they  are 
poor ;  and  when  they  are  received  they  from  innate  desire 
long  for  all  they  see.     As  soon  as  their  character  is  detected 
they  are  driven  out  and  fined ;  and  sometimes  they  are  miser- 
ably racked  in  various  ways  in  accordance  with  the  nature  of 
the  deceitful  simulation  which  they  have  contracted,  some 
being  racked  in  the  whole  body,  some  in  the  feet,  some  in  the 
loins,  some  in  the  breast,  some  in  the  head,  and  some  only  in 
the  region  of  the  mouth.     They  are  knocked  backward  and 
forward  in  a  way  that  is  indescribable ;  there  are  violent  col- 
lisions of  the  parts,  thus  pullings  asunder,  so  that  they  believe 
themselves  to  be  torn  into  small  bits  ;  and  resistance  is  induced, 
to  increase  the  pain.     Such  punishments  of  discerption  take 
place  with  great  variety,  and  at  intervals  are  repeated  again 
and  again,  until  the  sufferers  are  penetrated  with  fear  and 
horror  at  false  statements  made  with  an  intention  to  deceive. 
Each  punishing  takes  away  something.     The  discerptors  said 
that  they  are  so  delighted  to  punish  that  they  are  not  willing 
to  desist,  even  should  it  go  on  to  eternity. 

958.  There  are  troops  of   spirits  who  wander  about  and 
whom  other  spirits  greatly  dread.     They  apply  themselves  to 
the  lower  part  of  the  back,  and  inflict  torture  by  rapid  move- 
ments to  and  fro  which  no  one  can  prevent,  and  which  are 
attended  with  sound,  and  they  direct  the  constrictive  and  ex- 


N.  958]  HELL  475 

pansive  movement  upward  in  the  form  of  a  cone  with  its 
point  at  the  top ;  and  whoever  is  introduced  within  this  cone, 
especially  toward  the  top  of  it,  is  miserably  racked  in  every 
particle  of  his  limbs.  It  is  deceitful  pretenders  who  are  in- 
troduced into  it  and  so  punished. 

959.  I  awoke  in  the  night  from  my  sleep,  and  heard  spirits 
about  me  who  desired  to  ambush  me  in  my  sleep,  yet  pres- 
ently dozing  I  had  a  sad  dream.     But  having  awaked,  pun- 
ishing spirits  were  suddenly  present — at  which  I  wondered 
— and  miserably  punished  the  spirits  who  had  ambushed  me 
in  my  sleep.    They  induced  on  them  as  it  were  bodies — visible 
ones — and  bodily  senses,  and  thus  tortured  them  by  violent 
collisions  of  the  parts  to  and  fro,  with  pains  induced  by  resist- 
ance.    The  punishers  would  have  killed  them  if  they  could, 
so  that  they  used  the  most  extreme  violence.     Those  guilty 
were  for  the  most  part  sirens  (concerning  whom  see  n.  831). 
The  punishment  lasted  a  long  time,  and  extended  around  me 
to  many  troops,  and  to  my  astonishment  all  those  who  had 
ambushed  me  were  found,  though  they  wanted  to  hide  them- 
selves.    Being  sirens,  they  tried  with  many  arts  to  elude  the 
penalty,  but  could  not.     Now  they  sought  to  withdraw  into 
interior  nature,  now  to  induce  the  belief  that  they  were  others, 
now  to  transfer  the  punishment  to  others  by  a  transference  of 
ideas,  now  they  counterfeited  infants  who  would  thus  be  tor- 
cured,  now  good  spirits,  now  angels,  besides  making  use  of 
many  other  artifices,  but  all  in  vain.     I  was  surprised  that 
they  should  be  so  grievously  punished,  but  perceived  that  the 
crime  is  enormous  from  the  necessity  of  man's  being  able  to 
sleep  in  safety,  without  which  the  human  race  would  perish ; 
so  that  it  is  of  necessity  that  there  should  be  so  great  a  pen- 
alty.   I  perceived  that  the  same  takes  place  around  other  men 
whom  they  attempt  to  assail  insidiously  in  their  sleep,  although 
the  men  know  nothing  about  it.     For  one  to  whom  it  is  not 
given  to  speak  with  spirits  and  to  be  with  them  by  inner  sense, 
can  hear  nothing  of  the  kind,  still  less  see  it,  when  yet  the 
same  things  happen  with  all.    The  Lord  guards  man  with  most 
especial  care  during  his  sleep. 

960.  There  are  certain  deceitful  spirits  who  while  they  lived 
in  the  body  practised  their  wiles  in  secret,  and  some  of  them 


476  GENESIS  [N.  960 

in  order  to  deceive  have  by  pernicious  arts  feigned  being  as  it 
were  angels.  In  the  other  life  these  learn  to  withdraw  them- 
selves into  a  finer  or  more  interior  realm  of  nature  (in  subti- 
liorem  naturam),  and  to  snatch  themselves  away  from  the  eyes 
of  others,  and  in  this  way  they  suppose  themselves  to  be  safe 
from  every  penalty.  But  these,  just  like  others,  undergo  the 
penalty  of  discerption  in  accordance  with  the  nature  and  the 
wickedness  of  their  deceit,  and  in  addition  to  this  they  are 
glued  together,  and  when  this  happens  the  more  they  desire  to 
loose  themselves — that  is,  to  tear  themselves  away  from  one 
another — the  more  tightly  they  are  fastened.  This  penalty  is 
attended  with  a  more  intense  torture  because  it  answers  to 
their  more  hidden  deceptions. 

961.  Some  persons  from  habit,  and  some  from  contempt, 
make  use  in  familiar  conversation  of  the  things  contained  in 
Holy  Scripture  as  an  aid  or  formula  for  joking  and  ridicule, 
thinking  thus  to  give  point  thereto.     But  such  things  of  Scrip- 
ture when  thus  thought  and  spoken  add  themselves  to  their 
corporeal  and  filthy  ideas,  and  in  the  other  life  bring  upon 
them  much  harm ;  for  they  return  together  with  the  profane 
things.    These  persons  also  undergo  the  punishment  of  discerp- 
tion, until  they  become  disused  to  such  things. 

962.  There  is  also  a  penalty  of  discerption  in  respect  to  the 
thoughts,  so  that  the  interior  thoughts  fight  with  the  exterior, 
which  is  attended  with  interior  torment. 

963.  Among  punishments  a  frequent  one  consists  in  the 
throwing  over  the  sufferers  of  a  veil,  and  is  as  follows.     By 
means  of  phantasies  that  are  impressed  on  them  the  sufferers 
seem  to  themselves  to  be  under  a  veil  that  is  stretched  out  to 
a  great  distance.     It  is  like  a  closely  clinging  cloud  that  in- 
creases in  density  in  proportion  to  the  phantasy,  and  under 
which,  incited  by  the  desire  to  burst  out  of  it,  they  run  hither 
and  thither  at  various  rates  of  speed,  until  they  are  wearied 
out.     ,This  usually  lasts  for  the  space  of  an  hour,  more  or 
less,  and  is  attended  with  different  degrees  of  torment  in  pro- 
portion to  the  degree  of  the  desire  for  extrication.     The  veil 
is  for  those  who  although  they  see  the  truth,  yet  under  the 
influence  of  the  love  of  self  are  unwilling  to  acknowledge  it, 
and  feel   constant  indignation  that  the  truth  should  be  so. 


N.  963J  HELL  477 

When  under  the  veil  some  feel  such  anxiety  and  terror  that 
they  despair  of  the  possibility  of  their  deliverance,  as  I  was 
informed  by  one  who  had  himself  been  delivered  from  it. 

964.  There  is  an  additional  kind  of  veil  in  which  the  suf- 
ferers are  wrapped  up  as  it  were  in  a  cloth,  so  that  they  seem 
to  themselves  to  be  bound  in  hand,  in  foot,  and  in  body,  and 
there  is  injected  into  them  a  burning  desire  to  unwrap  them- 
selves.   As  the  sufferer  has  been  wrapped  round  only  once,  he 
supposes  that  he  will  easily  be  unwrapped,  but  when  he  begins 
to  unwrap  himself  the  veil  increases  in  length,  and  the  un- 
wrapping goes  on  without  end,  until  he  despairs. 

965.  These  things  relate  to  the  hells  and  to  penalties.     In- 
fernal torments  are  not  the  stings  of  conscience,  as  some  sup- 
pose, for  those  who  are  in  hell  have  had  no  conscience,  and 
therefore   cannot  suffer  torment  of    conscience.     Those  who 
have  had  conscience  are  among  the  happy. 

966.  It  is  to  be  observed  that  in  the  other  life  no  one  under- 
goes any  punishment  and  torture  on  account  of  his  hereditary 
evil,  but  only  on  account  of  the  actual  evils  which  he  himself 
has  committed. 

967.  When  the  evil  are  being  punished,  angels  are  always 
present  who  moderate  the  punishment  and  alleviate  the  pains 
of  the  sufferers,  but  cannot  take  them  away.     For  there  is  such 
an  equilibrium  of  all  things  in  the  other  life  that  evil  punishes 
itself,  and  unless  it  could  be  taken  away  by  means  of  punish- 
ment, those  in  whom  it  exists  could  not  but  be  kept  in  some  hell 
to  eternity,  for  they  would  otherwise  infest  the  societies  of  the 
good,  and  offer  violence  to  the  order  instituted  by  the  Lord, 
wherein  lies  the  safety  of  the  universe. 

968.  Certain  spirits  had  brought  with  them  from  the  world 
the  idea  that  they  must  not  speak  with  the  devil,  but  flee  from 
him.     But  they  were  instructed  that  it  would  do  no  harm  at 
all  to  those  whom  the  Lord  protects,  even  if  they  should  be  en- 
compassed by  all  hell,  both  within  and  without.     This  it  has 
been  given  me  to  know  by  much  and  by  marvelous  experience, 
so  that  at  length  I  came  to  have  no  fear  of  even  the  worst  of 
the  infernal  crew,  to  hinder  my  speaking  with  them ;  and  this 
was  granted  in  order  that  I  might  become  acquainted  with  their 
character.      To  those  who  have  wondered  that  I  spoke  with 


478  GENESIS  [N.  968 

them,  I  have  been  permitted  to  say  not  only  that  this  would 
do  me  no  harm,  but  also  that  the  devils  in  the  other  life  are 
such  as  have  been  men,  and  who  when  they  lived  in  the  world 
passed  their  life  in  hatred,  revenge,  and  adultery,  some  of  them 
being  then  pre-eminently  esteemed ;  nay^  that  among  them  are 
some  I  had  known  in  the  bodily  life  ;  and  that  the  devil  means 
nothing  else  than  such  a  crew  of  hell.  And  furthermore,  that 
men,  while  they  live  in  the  body,  have  with  them  at  least  two 
spirits  from  hell,  as  well  as  two  angels  from  heaven ;  and  that 
these  infernal  spirits  rule  with  the  evil,  but  with  the  good  have 
been  subjugated  and  are  compelled  to  serve.  Thus  it  is  false 
to  suppose  that  there  has  been  a  devil  from  the  beginning  of 
creation,  other  than  such  as  were  once  men.  When  they 
heard  these  things  they  were  amazed,  and  confessed  that  they 
had  held  a  totally  different  opinion  in  regard  to  the  devil  and 
the  diabolical  crew. 

969.  In  so  great  a  kingdom,  where  all  the  souls  of  men  from 
the  first  creation  flock  together,  from  this  earth  alone  nearly  a 
million  coming  every  week,  and  each  person  among  them  all 
having  his  own  individual  genius  and  nature  ;  and  where  there 
is  a  communication  of  all  the  ideas  of  every  one ;  and  where 
notwithstanding  all  this,  all  things  both  in  general  and  in  par- 
ticular must  be  reduced  into  order,  and  this  continually ;  it  can- 
not be  but  that  numberless  things  exist  there  which  have  never 
entered  into  the  idea  of  man.     And  as  in  relation  to  hell,  as 
well  as  in  relation  to  heaven,  scarcely  any  one  has  conceived 
more  than  one  single  obscure  idea,  it  cannot  be  but  that  these 
things  will  appear  strange  and  wonderful,  especially  from  the 
fact  that  men  suppose  spirits  to  have  no  sense  of  feeling,  al- 
though the  truth  is  that  they  feel  more  exquisitely  than  do 
men,  and  what  is  more  have  induced  on  them  by  evil  spirits, 
by  artifices  unknown  in  this  world,  a  sense  of  feeling  almost 
like  that  of  the  body,  but  much  less  gross. 

970.  The  subject  of  Vastations  will  follow  on  at  the  end  of 
this  chapter. 


N.  970]  CHAPTER   IX.  479 


•  CHAPTER  IX. 

1.  And  God  blessed  Noah  and  his  sons,  and  said  unto  them, 
Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish  the  earth. 

2.  And  let  the  fear  of  you  and  the  terror  of  you  be  upon 
every  beast  of  the  earth,  and  upon  every  bird  of  heaven ;  even 
to  everything  that  the  ground  maketh  to  creep  forth,  and  to  all 
the  fishes  of  the  sea,  into  your  hands  let  them  be  given. 

3.  Every  creeping  thing  that  liveth  shall  be  food  for  you ; 
as  the  esculent  herb  (olus  herbae)  have  I  given  it  all  to  you. 

4.  Only  the  flesh  with  the  soul  thereof,  the  blood  thereof, 
shall  ye  not  eat. 

5.  And  surely  your  blood  with  your  souls  will  I  require ;  at 
the  hand  of  every  wild  beast  will  I  require  it ;  and  at  the  hand 
of  man  (Jinmcf),  even  at  the  hand  of  the  man  (vir)  his  brother, 
will  I  require  the  soul  of  man  (homo).  . 

6.  Whoso  sheddeth  man's  blood  in  man,  his  blood  shall  be 
shed ;  for  in  the  image  of  God  made  He  man. 

7.  And  you,  be  ye  fruitful,  and  multiply ;  bring  forth  abun- 
dantly in  the  earth,  and  be  ye  multiplied  therein. 

********* 

8.  And  God  said  unto  Noah,  and  to  his  sons  with  him,  saying, 

9.  And  I,  behold,  I  establish  My  covenant  with  you,  and  with 
your  seed  af cer  you ; 

10.  And  with  every  living  soul  that  is  with  you,  the  fowl, 
the  beast,  and  the  wild  animal  of  the  earth  with  you ;  of  all 
that  go  out  of  the  ark,  even  every  wild  animal  of  the  earth. 

11.  And  I  will  establish  my  covenant  with  you;  neither 
shall  all  flesh  be  cut  off  any  more  by  the  waters  of  the  flood ; 
neither  shall  there  any  more  be  a  flood  to  destroy  the  earth. 

12.  And  God  said,  This  is  the  sign  of  the  covenant  which  1 
make  between  Me  and  you  and  every  living  soul  that  is  with 
you,  for  the  generations  of  an  age  : 

13.  I  have  set  My  bow  in  the  cloud,  and  it  shall  be  for  a  sign 
of  a  covenant  between  Me  and  the  earth. 

14  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  I  bring  a  cloud  over  the 
earth,  that  the  bow  shall  be  seen  in  the  cloud, 


480  GENESIS  [N.  970 

15.  And  I  will  remember  My  covenant,  which  is  between 
Me  and  you  and  every  living  soul  of  all  flesh ;  and  the  waters 
shall  no  more  become  a  flood  to  destroy  all  fles-h. 

16.  And  the  bow  shall  be  in  the  cloud ;  and  I  will  see  it,  that 
I  may  remember  the  eternal  covenant  between  God  and  every 
living  soul  of  all  flesh  that  is  upon  the  earth. 

17.  And  God  said  unto  Noah,  This  is  the  sign  of  the  cove- 
nant which  I  have  established  between  Me  and  all  flesh  that  is 
upon  the  earth. 

*###  .-**#* 

18.  And  the  sons  of  Noah,  that  went  forth  from  the  ark, 
were  Shem,  and  Ham,  and  Japheth ;  and  Ham  is  the  father  of 
Canaan. 

19.  These  three  were  the  sons  of  Noah ;  and  from  these  was 
the  whole  earth  overspread. 

20.  And  Noah  began  to  be  a  man  of  the  ground,  and  he 
planted  a  vineyard : 

21.  And  he  drank  of  the  wine  and  was  drunken ;  and  he  was 
uncovered  in  the  midst  of  his  tent. 

22.  And  Ham,  the  father  of  Canaan,  saw  the  nakedness  of 
his  father,  and  told  his  two  brethren  without. 

23.  And  Shem  and  Japheth  took  a  garment,  and  laid  it  upon 
their  shoulders,  both  of  them,  and  went  backward,  and  covered 
the  nakedness  of  their  father ;  and  their  faces  were  backward, 
and  they  saw  not  their  father's  nakedness. 

24.  And  Noah  awoke  from  his  wine,  and  knew  what  his 
younger  son  had  done  unto  him. 

25.  And  he  said,  Cursed  be  Canaan ;  a  servant  of  servants 
shall  he  be  to  his  brethren. 

26.  And  he  said,  Blessed  be  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Shem ;  and 
Canaan  shall  be  his  servant. 

27.  May  God  enlarge  Japheth,  and  he  shall  dwell  in   the 
tents  of  Shem ;  and  Canaan  shall  be  his  servant. 

28.  And  Noah  lived  after  the  flood  three  hundred  and  fifty 
years. 

29.  And  all  the  days  of  Noah  were  nine  hundred  and  fifty 
years ;  and  he  died. 


N.  971]  CONTENTS  481 


THE   CONTENTS. 

971.  The  subject  that  now  follows  on  is  the  state  of  the 
regenerate  man ;  first,  concerning  the  dominion  of  the  internal 
man,  and  -the  submission  of  the  external. 

972.  Namely,  that  all  things  of  the  external  man  have  been 
made  subject  to  and  serviceable  to  the  internal  (verses  1  to  3), 
but  that  especial  care  must  be  taken  lest  the  man  should  im- 
merse the  goods  and  truths  of  faith  in  cupidities,  or  by  the 
goods  and  truths  which  are  of  the  internal  man  should  confirm 
evils  and  falsities,  which  must  of  necessity  condemn  him  to 
death,  and  punish  him  (verses  4  and  5) ;  and  thus  destroy  the 
spiritual  man,  or  the  image  of  God,  with  him  (verse  6).     That 
if  these  things  are  avoided,  all  will  go  well  (verse  7). 

973.  It  next  treats  of  the  state  of  man  after  the  flood,  whom 
the  Lord  had  so  formed  that  He  might  be  present  with  him  by 
means  of  charity,  and  thus  prevent  his  perishing,  like  the  last 
posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church  (verses  8  to  11). 

974.  Afterwards  the  state  of  man  subsequent  to  the  flood, 
who  is  in  the  capacity  to  receive  charity,  is  described  by  the 
"  bow  in  the  cloud,"  which  he  resembles  (verses  12  to  17).    This 
"  bow"  has  regard  to  the  man  of  the  church,  or  the  regenerate 
man  (verses  12,  13)  ;  to  every  man  in  general  (verses  14,  15) ; 
specifically,  to  the  man  who  is  in  the  capacity  of  being  regen- 
erated (verse  16)  ;  and  consequently  not  only  to  man  within 
but  also  to  man  without  the  church  (verse  17). 

975.  It  treats  lastly  of  the  Ancient  Church  in  general;  by 
"  Shem"   is   meant   internal  worship ;    by  "  Japheth,"  corre- 
sponding external  worship ;  by  "  Ham,"  faith  separated  from 
charity ;  and  by  "  Canaan,"  external  worship  separated  from 
internal  (from  verse  19  to  the  end).     This  church,  through  the 
desire  to  investigate  from  itself  the  truths  of  faith,  and  by  rea- 
sonings, first  lapsed  into  errors  and  perversions  (verses  19  to 
21).     Those  who  are  in  external  worship  separated  from  in- 
ternal, deride  the  doctrine  of  faith  itself,  in  consequence  of 
such  errors  and  perversions  (verse  22) ;  but  those  who  are  in 
internal  worship,  and  in  the  external  worship  thence  derived, 

VOL.  I.— 31 


482  GENESIS  [N.  975 

put  a  good  interpretation  on  such  things,  and  excuse  them 
(verse  23).  Those  who  are  in  external  worship  separated  from 
internal,  are  most  vile  (verses  24,  25) ;  and  yet  they  are  able  to 
perform  vile  services  in  the  church  (verses  26,  27). 

976.  Lastly,  the  duration  and  state   of  the  first  Ancient 
Church  are  described  by  the  years  of  Noah's  age  (verses  28, 29). 


THE  INTERNAL  SENSE. 

977.  As  the  subject  here  treated  of  is  the  regenerate  man, 
a  few  words  shall  be  said  about  what  he  is  relatively  to  the  un- 
regenerate  man,  for  in  this  way  both  will  be  apprehended. 
With  the  regenerate  man  there  is  a  conscience  of  what  is  good 
and  true,  and  he  does  good  and  thinks  truth  from  conscience ; 
the  good  which  he  does  being  the  good  of  charity,  and  the  truth 
which  he  thinks  being  the  truth  of  faith.  The  unregenerate 
man  has  no  conscience,  or  if  any,  it  is  not  a  conscience  of 
doing  good  from  charity,  and  of  thinking  truth  from  faith,  but 
is  based  on  some  love  that  regards  himself  or  the  world,  where- 
fore it  is  a  spurious  or  false  conscience.  With  the  regenerate 
man  there  is  joy  when  he  acts  according  to  conscience,  and 
anxiety  when  he  is  forced  to  do  or  think  contrary  to  it ;  but 
it  is  not  so  with  the  unregenerate,  for  very  many  such  men  do 
not  know  what  conscience  is,  much  less  what  it  is  to  do  any- 
thing either  according  or  contrary  to  it,  but  only  what  it  is  to  do 
the  things  that  favor  their  loves.  This  is  what  gives  them  joy, 
and  when  they  do  what  is  contrary  to  their  loves,  this  is  what 
gives  them  anxiety.  With  the  regenerate  man  there  is  a  new 
will  and  a  new  understanding,  and  this  new  will  and  new  un- 
derstanding are  his  conscience,  that  is,  they  are  in  his  con- 
science, and  through  this  the  Lord  works  the  good  of  charity 
and  the  truth  of  faith.  Writh  an  unregenerate  man  there  is 
not  will,  but  instead  of  will  there  is  cupidity,  and  a  conse- 
quent proneness  to  every  evil ;  neither  is  there  understanding, 
but  mere  reasoning  and  a  consequent  falling  away  to  every 
falsity  With  the  regenerate  man  there  is  celestial  and  spirit- 


N.  977]  CHAPTER   IX. 

ual  life ;  but  with  the  unregenerate  man  there  is  only  corporeal 
and  worldly  life,  and  his  ability  to  think  and  understand  what 
is  good  and  true  is  from  the  Lord's  life  through  the  remains 
before  spoken  of,  and  it  is  from  this  that  he  has  the  faculty  of 
reflecting.  With  the  regenerate  the  internal  man  has  the  do- 
minion, the  external  being  obedient  and  submissive ;  but  with 
the  unregenerate  the  external  man  rules,  the  internal  being 
quiescent,  as  if  it  had  no  existence.  The  regenerate  man  knows, 
or  has  a  capacity  of  knowing  on  reflection,  what  the  internal 
man  is,  and  what  the  external ;  but  of  these  the  unregenerate 
man  is  altogether  ignorant,  nor  can  he  know  them  even  if  he 
reflects,  since  he  is  unacquainted  with  the  good  and  truth  of 
faith  originating  in  charity.  Hence  may  be  seen  what  is  the 
quality  of  the  regenerate,  and  what  of  the  unregenerate  man, 
and  that  they  differ  from  each  other  like  summer  and  winter, 
and  light  and  darkness ;  wherefore  the  regenerate  is  a  living, 
but  the  unregenerate  a  dead  man. 

978.  What  the  internal  man  is,  and  what  the  external,  is 
at  this  day  known  to  few,  if  any.  It  is  generally  supposed 
that  they  are  one  and  the  same,  and  this  chiefly  because  men 
believe  that  they  do  good,  and  think  truth  from  what  is  their 
own,  for  it  is  the  nature  of  man's  Own  to  believe  this ;  whereas 
the  internal  man  is  as  distinct  from  the  external  as  heaven  is 
from  earth.  Both  the  learned  and  the  unlearned,  when  re- 
flecting on  the  subject,  have  no  other  conception  respecting 
the  internal  man  than  as  being  thought,  because  it  is  within  ; 
and  of  the  external  man  that  it  is  the  body,  with  its  life  of 
sense  and  pleasure,  because  this  is  without.  Thought,  how- 
ever, which  is  thus  ascribed  to  the  internal  man,  does  not  be- 
long thereto ;  for  in  the  internal  man  there  are  nothing  but, 
goods  and  truths  which  are  the  Lord's,  and  in  the  interior  man 
conscience  has  been  implanted  by  the  Lord ;  and  yet  the  evil, 
and  even  the  worst  of  men,  have  thought,  and  so  have  those 
who  are  devoid  of  conscience,  which  shows  that  man's  thought 
does  not  belong  to  the  internal,  but  to  the  external  man.  That 
the  body,  with  its  life  of  sense  and  pleasure,  is  not  the  external 
man,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  spirits  equally  possess  an 
external  man,  although  they  have  no  such  body  as  they  had 
during  their  life  in  this  world.  But  what  the  internal  man  is, 


484  GENESIS  [N.  978 

and  what  the  external,  no  one  can  possibly  know  unless  he 
knows  that  there  is  in  every  man  a  celestial  and  a  spiritual 
that  correspond  to  the  angelic  heaven,  a  rational  that  corre- 
sponds to  the  heaven  of  angelic  spirits,  and  an  interior  sensu- 
ous that  corresponds  to  the  heaven  of  spirits.  For  there  are 
three  heavens,  and  as  many  in  man,  which  are  most  perfectly 
distinct  from  each  other ;  and  hence  it  is  that  after  death  the 
man  who  has  conscience  is  first  in  the  heaven  of  spirits,  after- 
wards is  elevated  by  the  Lord  into  the  heaven  of  angelic 
spirits,  and  lastly  into  the  angelic  heaven,  which  could  not 
possibly  take  place  unless  there  were  in  him  as  many  heavens, 
with  which  and  with  the  state  of  which  he  has  the  capacity 
of  corresponding.  From  this  I  have  learned  what  constitutes 
the  internal,  and  what  the  external  man.  The  internal  man 
is  formed  of  what  is  celestial  and  spiritual ;  the  interior  or 
intermediate  man,  of  what  is  rational ;  and  the  external  man 
of  what  is  sensuous,  not  belonging  to  the  body,  but  derived 
from  bodily  things ;  and  this  is  the  case  not  only  with  man, 
but  also  with  spirits.  To  speak  in  the  language  of  the  learned, 
these  three,  the  internal,  the  interior,  and  the  external  man, 
are  like  end,  cause,  and  effect ;  and  it  is  well  known  that  there 
can  be  no  effect  without  a  cause,  and  no  cause  without  an  end. 
Effect,  cause,  and  end,  are  as  distinct  from  each  other  as  are 
what  is  exterior,  what  is  interior,  and  what  is  inmost.  Strictly 
speaking,  the  sensuous  man — or  he  whose  thought  is  grounded 
in  sensuous  things — is  the  external  man,  and  the  spiritual  and 
celestial  man  is  the  internal  man,  and  the  rational  man  is  in- 
termediate between  the  two,  being  that  by  which  the  com- 
munication of  the  internal  and  the  external  man  is  effected. 
I  am  aware  that  few  will  apprehend  these  statements,  because 
men  live  in  external  things,  and  think  from  them.  Hence  it 
is  that  some  regard  themselves  as  being  like  the  brutes,  and 
believe  that  on  the  death  of  the  body  they  will  die  altogether, 
although  they  then  first  begin  to  live.  After  death,  those  who 
are  good,  at  first  live  a  sensuous  life  in  the  world  or  heaven 
of  spirits,  afterwards  an  interior  sensuous  life  in  the  heaven 
of  angelic  spirits,  and  lastly  an  inmost  sensuous  life  in  the 
angelic  heaven,  this  angelic  life  being  the  life  of  the  internal 
man,  and  concerning  which  scarcely  anything  can  be  said  that 


N.  978]  CHAPTER   IX.  485 

is  comprehensible  by  man.  The  regenerate  may  know  that 
there  is  such  a  life  by  reflecting  on  the  nature  of  the  good  and 
the  true,  and  of  spiritual  warfare,  for  it  is  the  life  of  the 
Lord  in  man,  since  the  Lord — through  the  internal  man — 
works  the  good  of  charity  and  the  truth  of  faith  in  his  ex- 
ternal man.  What  is  thence  perceived  in  his  thought  and 
affection  is  a  certain  general  which  contains  innumerable 
things  that  come  from  the  internal  man,  and  which  the  man 
cannot  possibly  perceive  until  he  enters  the  angelic  heaven. 
(Concerning  this  general  and  its  nature,  see  above,  n.  545, 
from  experience.)  The  things  here  said  about  the  internal 
man,  being  above  the  apprehension  of  very  many,  are  not 
necessary  to  salvation.  It  is  sufficient  to  know  that  there  is 
an  internal  and  an  external  man,  and  to  acknowledge  and  be- 
lieve that  all  good  and  truth  are  from  the  Lord. 

979.  These  observations  on  the  state  of  the  regenerate  man, 
and  on  the  influx  of  the  internal  man  into  the  external,  have 
been  premised,  because  this  chapter  treats  of  the  regenerate 
man,  of  the  dominion  of  the  internal  man  over  the  external, 
and  of  the  submission  of  the  external  man. 

980.  Verse  1.  And  God  blessed  Noah  and  his  sons,  and  said 
unto  them,  Be  fndtful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish  the  earth. 
11  God  blessed,"  signifies  the  presence  and  grace  of  the  Lord ; 
"  Xoah  and  his  sons,"  signifies  the  Ancient  Church ;  "  be  fruit- 
ful," signifies  the  goods  of  charity;  "and  multiply,"  signifies 
the  truths  of  faith,  which  were  now  to  be  increased ;  "  replen- 
ish the  earth,"  signifies  in  the  external  man. 

981.  That  "God  blessed"  signifies  the  presence  and  grace 
of  the  Lord,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "to  bless." 
"  To  bless,"  in  the  Word,  in  the  external  sense  signifies  to  en- 
rich with  every  earthly  and  corporeal  good,  according  to  the 
explanation  of   the  Word  given  by  those  who  abide  in  the 
external  sense — as  the  ancient  and  modern  Jews,  and  also 
Christians,  especially  at  the  present  day — wherefore  they  have 
made  the  Divine  blessing  to  consist  in  riches,  in  an  abundance 
of  all  things,  and  in  self -glory.    But  in  the  internal  sense,  "  to 
bless"  is  to  enrich  with  all  spiritual  and  celestial  good,  which 
blessing  is  and  never  can  be  given  except  by  the  Lord,  and  on 
this  account  it  signifies  His  presence  and  grace,  which  neces- 


486  GENESIS  [N.  981 

sarily  bring  with  them  such  spiritual  and  celestial  good.  It 
is  said  presence,  because  the  Lord  is  present  solely  in  charity, 
and  the  subject  treated  of  here  is  the  regenerate  spiritual  man, 
who  acts  from  charity.  The  Lord  is  indeed  present  with  every 
man,  but  in  proportion  as  a  man  is  distant  from  charity,  in 
the  same  proportion  the  presence  of  the  Lord  is — so  to  speak 
— more  absent,  that  is,  the  Lord  is  more  remote.  The  reason 
why  grace  is  mentioned,  and  not  mercy,  is  for  the  reason — 
which  as  I  conjecture,  has  been  hitherto  unknown — that  celes- 
tial men  do  not  speak  of  grace,  but  of  mercy,  while  spiritual 
men  do  not  speak  of  mercy,  but  of  grace.  This  mode  of 
speaking  is  grounded  in  the  circumstance  that  those  who  are 
celestial  acknowledge  the  human  race  to  be  nothing  but  filthi- 
ness,  and  as  being  in  itself  excrementitious  and  infernal; 
wherefore  they  implore  the  mercy  of  the  Lord,  for  mercy  is 
predicated  of  such  a  condition.  Those,  however,  who  are 
spiritual,  although  they  know  the  human  race  to  be  of  such  a 
nature,  yet  they  do  not  acknowledge  it,  because  they  remain 
in  their  Own,  which  they  love,  and  therefore  they  speak  with 
difficulty  of  mercy,  but  easily  of  grace.  This  difference  in 
language  results  from  the  difference  in  the  humiliation.  In 
proportion  as  any  one  loves  himself,  and  thinks  that  he  can 
do  good  of  himself,  and  thus  merit  salvation,  the  less  capable 
is  he  of  imploring  the  Lord's  mercy.  The  reason  why  some 
can  implore  grace  is  that  it  has  become  a  customary  form  of 
speaking,  in  which  there  is  but  little  of  the  Lord  and  much  of 
self,  as  any  one  may  discover  in  himself  while  he  names  the 
grace  of  the  Lord. 

982.  That  by  "Noah  and  his  sons"  is  signified  the  Ancient 
Church,  has  been  said  and  shown  above,  and  is  evident  also 
from  what  follows. 

983.  That  "  be  fruitful"  signifies  the  good  of  charity,  and 
"  multiply"  the  truths  of  faith,  which  were  now  about  to  be 
increased,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  these  two  ex- 
pressions in  the  Word,  where  "to  be  fruitful,"  or  to  produce 
fruit,  is  constantly  predicated  of  charity,  and  "  to  multiply," 
of  faith,  as  was  shown  above,  n.  43,  55,  and  in  further  con- 
firmation of  which  we  may  adduce  the  following  passages  from 
the  Word : — 


N.  983]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  1  487 

Turn,  0  backsliding  sons  ;  I  will  give  you  shepherds  according  to  Mine 
heart,  and  they  shall  feed  you  with  knowledge  and  intelligence  ;  and  it 
shall  be  that  ye  shall  be  multiplied  and  made  fruitful  in  the  earth  ( Jer. 
in.  14-16), 

where  "  to  be  multiplied"  manifestly  denotes  growth  in  knowl- 
edge arid  intelligence,  that  is,  in  faith,  and  "  to  be  made  fruit- 
ful" denotes  the  goods  of  charity ;  for  it  there  treats  of  the; 
implantation  of  the  church,  in  which  faith  or  "  multiplication" 
comes  first.  Again  : — 

I  will  gather  the  remnant  of  My  flock  out  of  all  lands  whither  I  have 
driven  them,  and  will  bring  them  again  to  their  folds,  and  they  shall  be 
fruitful  and  multiplied  (xxiii.  3), 

speaking  of  a  church  already  planted,  consequently  to  be 
"  made  fruitful"  as  to  the  goods  of  charity  and  to  be  "  multi- 
plied" as  to  the  truths  of  faith.  So  in  Moses : — 

Moreover  I  will  look  to  you,  and  make  you  to  be  fruitful,  and  I  will 
make  you  to  be  multiplied,  and  establish  My  covenant  with  you  (Lev. 
xxvi.  9), 

speaking  in  the  internal  sense  of  the  celestial  church,  where- 
fore "  to  be  fruitful"  is  predicated  of  the  goods  of  love  and 
charity,  and  "  to  be  multiplied,"  of  the  goods  and  truths  of 
faith.  In  Zechariah  : — - 

I  will  redeem  them,  and  they  shall  be  multiplied  as  they  have  been 
multiplied  (x.  8)  ; 

that  "  to  be  multiplied"  is  here  predicated  of  the  truths  of 
faith,  is  evident  from  their  being  to  "  be  redeemed."  In  Jere- 
miah : — 

The  city  shall  be  builded  upon  her  own  heap,  and  out  of  them  shall 
proceed  confession,  and  the  voice  of  them  that  make  merry,  and  I  will 
cause  them  to  be  multiplied,  and  they  shall  not  be  diminished  ;  their  sons 
also  shall  be  as  aforetime  (xxx.  18-20), 

speaking  of  the  affections  of  truth,  and  of  the  truths  of  faith ; 
the  former  being  denoted  by  "  confession,  and  the  voice  of  them 
that  make  merry,"  and  the  latter  by  "  being  multiplied ;" 
"  sons"  also  here  denote  truths. 

984.  That  to  "  replenish  the  earth"  signifies  in  the  external 
man,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  the  "  earth"  as  being 
the  external  man,  which  has  been  already  shown  several  times. 


488  GENESIS  [N.  984 

In  reference  to  the  goods  of  charity  and  the  truths  of  faith  in 
the  regenerate  man,  it  may  be  observed  that  they  are  implanted 
in  his  conscience ;  and  as  they  are  implanted  by  means  of 
faith,  or  by  the  hearing  of  the  Word,  they  are  at  first  in  his 
memory,  which  belongs  to  the  external  man.  When  the  man 
has  been  regenerated,  and  the  internal  man  acts,  the  same  takes 
place  with  respect  to  fructification  and  multiplication,  the 
goods  of  charity  putting  themselves  forth  in  the  affections  of 
the  external  man,  and  the  truths  of  faith  in  his  memory,  in- 
creasing and  multiplying  in  each  case.  The  nature  of  this 
multiplication  may  be  known  to  every  regenerate  person,  for 
things  that  confirm  constantly  accrue,  from  the  Word,  from 
the  rational  man,  and  from  knowledges  (scientifica),  by  which 
he  becomes  more  and  more  confirmed,  this  being  an  effect  of 
charity,  the  Lord  alone  doing  the  work  through  charity. 

985.  Verse  2.  And  let  the  fear  of  you  and  the  terror  of  you 
be  upon  every  beast  of  the  earth,  and  upon  every  bird  of  heaven, 
even  to  everything  which  the  ground  causeth  to  creep  forth,  and 
to  all  the  fishes  of  the  sea  ;  into  your  hands  let  them  be  given. 
"  The  fear  of  you  and  the  terror  of  you,"  signifies  the  domin- 
ion of  the  internal  man ;  "  fear"  having  reference  to  evils ;  and 
"  terror"  to  falsities ;  "  upon  every  beast  of  the  earth,"  signi- 
fies upon  the  cupidities  which  are  of  the  mind  (animus)  ;  "  and 
upon  every  bird  of  heaven,"  signifies  upon  the  falsities  which 
belong  to  reasoning ;  "  to  everything  which  the  ground  causeth 
to  creep  forth,"  signifies  affections  of  good ;  "  to  all  the  fishes 
of  the  sea,"    signifies  memory-knowledges  (scientifica)  ;  "  let 
tfiem  be  given  into  your  hands,"  signifies  the  possession  of  the 
internal  man  in  the  external. 

986.  The  fear  of  you  and  the  terror  of  you.     That  this  sig- 
nifies the  dominion  of  the  internal  man,  "  fear"  having  ref- 
erence to  evils,  and  "  terror"  to  falsities,  is  evident  from  the 
state  of  the  regenerate  man.     The  state  of  man  before  regen- 
eration is  such  that  cupidities  and  falsities,  which  are  of  the 
external  man,  continually  predominate,  and  hence  arises  a 
combat ;  but  after  regeneration  the  internal  man  has  dominion 
over  the  external,  that  is,  over  its  cupidities  and  falsities,  and 
then  the  man  is  in  fear  of  evils  and  in  terror  of  falsities,  both 
of  which  are  contrary  to  conscience,  and  to  act  in  opposition 


N.  986]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  2  489 

to  this  affects  him  with  horror.  Howbeit,  it  is  not  the  internal 
but  the  external  man  that  fears  evils  and  dreads  falsities, 
wherefore  it  is  here  said  "  let  the  fear  of  you  and  the  terror 
of  you  be  upon  every  beast  of  the  earth,  and  upon  every  bird 
of  the  heaven,"  that  is,  upon  all  cupidities,  here  signified  by 
"  beasts,"  and  upon  all  falsities,  here  meant  by  the  "  bird  of 
heaven."  This  "fear"  and  this  "terror"  appear  as  if  they 
were  the  man's  own,  but  they  arise  from  the  following  cause. 
As  has  been  previously  stated,  there  are  with  every  man  at 
least  two  angels,  through  whom  he  has  communication  with 
heaven,  and  two  evil  spirits,  through  whom  he  has  communi- 
cation with  hell.  When  the  angels  rule — as  is  the  case  with 
the  regenerate  man — then  the  attendant  evil  spirits  dare  not 
attempt  to  do  anything  contrary  to  what  is  good  and  true, 
because  they  are  in  bonds  ;  for,  on  their  attempting  to  do  any- 
thing evil,  or  to  speak  what  is  false — that  is,  to  excite  it — they 
are  instantly  seized  with  a  kind  of  infernal  fear  and  terror. 
This  fear  and  terror  are  what  are  perceived  in  the  man  as  a 
fear  and  terror  for  what  is  contrary  to  conscience ;  and  there- 
fore as  soon  as  he  does  or  speaks  anything  contrary  to  con- 
science, he  comes  into  temptation,  and  into  the  pangs  of  con- 
science, that  is,  into  a  kind  of  infernal  torment.  As  to  "  fear" 
being  predicated  of  evils,  and  "  terror"  of  falsities,  the  case 
is  this  :  the  spirits  with  a  man  do  not  so  much  fear  to  do  evils 
as  they  do  to  speak  falsities,  because  man  is  born  again  and 
receives  conscience  through  the  truths  of  faith,  and  therefore 
the  spirits  are  not  allowed  to  excite  false  things.  With  every 
one  of  them  there  is  nothing  but  evil,  so  that  they  are  in 
evil ;  their  very  nature,  and  all  their  effort  therefrom  is  evil ; 
and  since  they  are  in  evil,  and  their  proper  life  consists  in 
evil,  they  are  pardoned  for  doing  evil  when  they  are  serving 
any  use.  But  it  is  not  permitted  them  to  speak  anything  false, 
and  this  in  order  that  they  may  learn  what  is  true,  and  thus 
so  far  as  possible  be  amended,  so  that  they  may  serve  some 
low  use ;  but  concerning  this  subject,  of  the  Lord's  Divine 
mercy,  more  hereafter.  Similar  is  the  case  with  the  regenerate 
man,  for  his  conscience  is  formed  of  the  truths  of  faith,  and 
therefore  his  conscience  is  a  conscience  of  what  is  right,  what 
is  false  being  to  him  the  very  evil  of  life,  because  it  is  con- 


490  GENESIS  [N.  986 

trary  to  the  truth  of  faith.  It  was  otherwise  with  the  man  of 
the  Most  Ancient  Church,  who  had  perception.  He  perceived 
evil  of  life  as  evil,  and  falsity  of  faith  as  falsity. 

987.  Upon  every  beast  of  the  earth.  That  this  signifies  over 
the  cupidities  of  the  lower  mind,  is  evident  from  the  significa- 
tion of  "  beasts"  in  the  Word,  where  they  signify  either  affec- 
tions or  cupidities,  affections  of  good  being  signified  by  gentle, 
useful,  and  clean  beasts ;  and  affections  of  evil,  or  cupidities, 
by  those  that  are  fierce,  useless,  and  unclean  (concerning  which 
see  above,  n.  45,  46,  142,  143,  246,  776).  Here,  as  cupidities 
are  signified,  they  are  called  "  beasts  of  the  earth,"  not  beasts 
of  the  field.  With  regard  to  the  rule  of  the  regenerate  man 
over  cupidities,  it  is  to  be  known  that  those  are  in  the  greatest 
error,  and  are  by  no  means  the  regenerate,  who  believe  that 
they  can  of  themselves  rule  over  evils.  For  man  is  nothing 
but  evil ;  he  is  a  mass  of  evils ;  all  his  will  being  merely  evil ; 
which  is  what  is  said  in  the  preceding  chapter  (viii.  21)  :  that 
"  the  imagination  of  man's  heart  is  evil  from  his  youth."  It 
has  been  shown  me  by  living  experience  that  a  man  and  a 
spirit,  even  an  angel,  in  himself  regarded,  that  is,  as  to  all  that 
is  his  own,  is  but  vilest  excrement ;  and  that  left  to  himself  he 
breathes  nothing  but  hatred,  revenge,  cruelty,  and  most  foul 
adultery.  [2]  These  things  are  his  own  ;  these  are  his  will ;  as 
must  also  be  evident  to  every  one  if  he  reflects,  merely  from 
this,  that  man  when  born  is,  among  all  wild  animals  and  beasts, 
the  vilest  creature  living.  And  when  he  grows  up  and  be- 
comes his  own  master,  if  not  hindered  by  outward  bonds  of 
the  law,  and  bonds  which  he  imposes  on  himself  for  the  pur- 
pose of  gaining  great  honor  and  wealth,  he  would  rush  into 
every  crime,  and  not  rest  until  he  had  subjugated  all  in  the 
universe,  and  raked  together  the  wealth  of  all  in  the  uni- 
verse ;  nor  would  he  spare  any  but  those  who  submitted  to 
be  his  humble  servants.  Such  is  the  nature  of  every  man, 
although  those  are  unaware  of  it  who  are  powerless  and  to 
whom  such  attempts  are  impossible,  and  also  those  who  are  in 
the  bonds  above  mentioned.  But  let  the  possibility  and  power 
be  given,  and  the  bonds  be  relaxed,  and  they  would  rush  on  to 
the  extent  of  their  ability.  Wild  animals  never  show  such  a 
nature.  They  are  born  into  a  certain  order  of  their  nature. 


N.  987]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  2  491 

Those  which  are  fierce  and  rapacious  inflict  injury  on  other 
creatures,  but  only  in  self-defense ;  and  their  devouring  other 
animals  is  to  allay  their  hunger,  and  when  this  is  allayed  they 
do  harm  to  none.  But  it  is  altogether  different  with  man. 
From  all  this  .it  is  evident  what  is  the  nature  of  man's  Own 
and  will.  [3]  Since  man  is  such  mere  evil  and  excrement,  it 
is  evident  that  he  can  never  of  himself  rule  over  evil.  It  is 
an  utter  contradiction  for  evil  to  be  able  to  rule  over  evil,  and 
not  only  over  evil,  but  also  over  hell ;  for  every  man  is  in  com- 
munication through  evil  spirits  with  hell,  and  thereby  the  evil 
in  him  is  excited.  From  all  this  every  one  may  know,  and  he 
who  has  a  sound  mind  may  conclude,  that  the  Lord  alone  rules 
over  evil  in  man  and  over  hell  with  him.  In  order  that  the 
evil  in  man  may  be  subjugated,  that  is,  hell,  which  strives 
every  moment  to  rush  in  upon  him  and  destroy  him  forever, 
man  is  regenerated  by  the  Lord  and  endowed  with  a  new  will, 
which  is  conscience,  through  which  the  Lord  alone  performs 
all  good.  These  are  points  of  faith :  that  man  is  nothing  but 
evil ;  and  that  all  good  is  from  the  Lord.  They  are  therefore 
not  only  known  by  man,  but  also  acknowledged  and  believed ; 
and  if  he  does  not  so  acknowledge  and  believe  in  the  life  of 
the  body,  it  is  shown  him  to  the  life  in  the  life  to  come. 

988.  And  upon  every  bird  of  heaven.  That  this  signifies 
upon  falsities  of  reasoning,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of 
"  bird."  In  the  Word  "  birds"  signify  intellectual  things  : 
those  which  are  gentle,  useful,  and  beautiful,  signifying  intel- 
lectual truths ;  and  those  which  are  fierce,  useless,  and  ugly, 
signifying  intellectual  falsities,  or  falsities  of  reasoning.  (That 
they  signify  intellectual  things  may  be  seen  above,  n.  40,  776, 
870.)  From  this  it  is  also  evident  that  "  birds"  signify  rea- 
sonings and  their  falsities.  That  there  may  be  no  doubt  let 
the  following  passages  (in  addition  to  those  cited  about  the 
raven,  n.  866)  serve  for  confirmation.  In  Jeremiah : — 

I  will  visit  upon  them  in  four  kinds,  saith  Jehovah  ;  the  sword  to  slay, 
and  the  dogs  to  drag,  and  the  fowl  of  heaven,  and  the  beasts  of  the  earth, 
to  devour  and  to  destroy  (xv.  3). 

In  Ezekiel : — 

Upon  his  ruin  all  the  fowls  of  the  heaven  shall  dwell,  and  all  the  wild 
animals  of  the  field  shall  be  upon  his  branches  (xxxi.  13). 


492  GENESIS  [N.  988 

In  Daniel: — 

At  last  upon  the  bird  of  abominations  shall  be  desolation  (ix.  27). 
In  John  : — 

Babylon  is  become  a  hold  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird  (Rev. 
xviii.  2). 

Many  times  it  is  said  in  the  Prophets  that  carcasses  should  be 
given  for  meat  to  the  fowl  of  the  air  and  to  the  beast  of  the 
field  (Jer.  vii.  33 ;  xix.  7 ;  xxxiv.  20 ;  Ezek.  xxix.  5 ;  xxxix.  4 ; 
Ps.  Ixxix.  2;  Isa.  xviii.  6).  By  this  was  signified  that  they 
should  be  destroyed  by  falsities,  which  are  "  birds  of  heaven," 
and  by  evils,  or  cupidities,  which  are  the  "  beasts  of  the  earth." 

989.  As  regards  dominion  over  falsities,  it  is  the  same  as 
with  dominion  over  evils  :  man  cannot  of  himself  have  the  least 
dominion  over  them.     Since  the  subject  is  here  the  dominion 
of  the  regenerated  man  over  cupidities,  or  the  "  beast  of  the 
earth,"  and  over  falsities,  or  the  "  bird  of  heaven,"  it  is  to  be 
known  that  no  one  can  ever  say  that  he  is  regenerate  unless  he 
acknowledges  and  believes  that  charity  is  the  primary  thing 
of  his  faith,  and  unless  he  is  affected  with  love  toward  the 
neighbor,  and  has  mercy  on  him.     Of  charity  his  new  will  is 
formed.     Through  charity  the  Lord  brings  about  good,  and 
thereby  truth,  but  not  through  faith  without  charity.     There 
are  some  who  perform  works  of  charity  from  obedience  alone, 
that  is,  because  it  is  so  commanded  by  the  Lord,  and  yet  are 
not  regenerate.     These  if  they  do  not  place  righteousness  in 
their  works  are  regenerated  in  the  other  life. 

990.  Even  to  everything  that  the  ground  maketh  to  creep 
forth.     That  this  signifies  affections  of  good  is  evident  both 
from  what  precedes  and  from  the  signification  of  the  "  ground," 
from  which  they  are  produced  or  creep  forth ;  from  what  pre- 
cedes, since  there  evils  and  falsities  are  treated  of,  over  which 
the  regenerate  man   rules,  and  therefore  here  affections   of 
good,  which  are  given  into  his  hands ;  and  from  the  significa- 
tion of  the  "  ground,"  from  which  they  are  produced  or  creep 
forth,  since  the  "  ground"  is  in  general  the  man  of  the  church 
and  whatever  is  of  the  church,  and  thus  here  whatever  is  pro- 
duced by  the  Lord  through  the  internal  man  in  the  external. 
The  ground  itself  is  in  the  external  man,  in  his  affections  and 


N.  990]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  2  493 

memory.  It  appears  as  if  man  produced  what  is  good,  and 
therefore  it  is  said  "everything  that  the  ground  maketh  to 
creep  forth ;"  but  this  is  only  the  appearance ;  good  is  produced 
through  the  internal  man  by  the  Lord,  since,  as  has  been  said, 
there  is  nothing  of  good  and  truth  except  from  the  Lord. 

991.  And  to  all  the  fishes  of  the  sea.  That  this  signifies 
memory -knowledges  (scientifica),  is  evident  from  the  significa- 
tion of  a  fish.  "  Fishes"  in  the  Word  signify  memory -knowl- 
edges, which  spring  from  things  of  sense.  For  memory-knowl- 
edges (scientifica)  are  of  three  kinds  :  intellectual,  rational,  and 
sensuous.  All  these  are  planted  in  the  memory,  or  rather  mem- 
ories, and  in  the  regenerate  man  are  called  forth  thence  by  the 
Lord,  through  the  internal  man.  These  memory -knowledges 
which  are  from  things  of  sense  come  to  man's  sensation  or  per- 
ception when  he  lives  in  the  body,  for  he  thinks  from  them. 
The  rest,  which  are  interior,  do  not  come  so  much  to  perception 
until  man  puts  off  the  body  and  enters  the  other  life.  That 
"  fishes"  or  the  creeping  things  which  the  waters  produce,  sig- 
nify memory-knowledges,  may  be  seen  above  (n.  40) ;  and  that 
a  "  whale"  or  "  sea  monster"  signifies  the  generals  of  these 
knowledges  (n.  42).  Moreover  the  same  is  evident  from  the 
following  passages  in  the  Word.  In  Zephaniah  : — 

I  will  make  man  and  beast  to  fail ;  I  will  make  the  fowls  of  the  heavens 
and  the  fishes  of  the  sea  to  fail  (i.  3), 

where  the  "  fowls  of  the  heavens"  denote  things  of  reason, 
and  the  "  fishes  of  the  sea"  lower  rational  things,  that  is,  man's 
thought  from  sensuous  memory-knowledges.  [2]  In  Habak- 
kuk : — 

Thou  makest  man  as  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  as  the  creeping  thing  that  has 
no  ruler  over  them  (i.  14), 

where  "  making  man  as  the  fishes  of  the  sea"  means  that  he  is 
altogether  sensuous.  In  Hosea  : — 

Therefore  shall  the  land  mourn,  and  every  one  that  dwelleth  therein 
shall  languish,  with  the  wild  animal  of  the  field  and  the  fowl  of  the 
heavens  ;  yea,  the  fishes  of  the  sea  also  shall  be  gathered  (iv.  3), 

where  the  "  fishes  of  the  sea"  denote  memory -knowledges  from 
things  of  sense.  In  David : — 


494  GENESIS  [N.  991 

Thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet ;  all  sheep  and  oxen,  yea,  and 
the  beasts  of  the  field,  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea,  what- 
soever passeth  through  the  paths  of  the  seas  (Ps.  viii.  6-8), 

speaking  of  the  dominion  of  the  Lord  in  man,  the  "  fish  of  the 
sea"  denote  memory-knowledges.  That  "  seas"  signify  the  gath- 
ering together  of  knowledges  (scientificorum  sen  cognitionum), 
may  be  seen  above  (n.  28).  In  Isaiah : — 

The  fishers  shall  lament,  and  all  they  that  cast  a  hook  into  the  river 
shall  mourn,  and  they  that  spread  a  net  upon  the  faces  of  the  waters  shall 
languish  (xix.  8)  ; 

"  fishers"  denoting  those  who  trust  only  in  things  of  sense,  and 
out  of  these  hatch  falsities ;  the  subject  being  Egypt,  or  the 
realm  of  memory -knowledge. 

992.  Into  your  hands  let  them  be  given.     That  this  signifies 
the  possession  of  the  internal  man  in  the  external,  is  evident 
from  what  has  been  already  said,  and  from  the  signification  of 
"  hand"  (as  above,  n.  878).     It  is  said  "  into  your  hands  let 
them  be  given,"  because  such  is  the  appearance. 

993.  Verse  3.   Evert/  creeping  thing  that  liveth  shall  be  food 
for  you  ;  as  the  esculent  herb  have  I  given  it  all  to  you.     "Every 
creeping  thing  that  liveth,"  signifies  all  pleasures  in  which 
there  is  good  which  is  living ;  "  shall  be  food  for  you,"  signifies 
their  delight,  which  they  enjoy  ;  "  as  the  esculent  herb,"  signi- 
fies what  is  vile  of  delights ;  "  have  I  given  it  all  to  you,"  sig- 
nifies enjoyment  on  account  of  use. 

994.  Every  creeping  thing  that  liveth.     That  this  signifies 
all  pleasures  in  which  there  is  good  which  is  living,  is  evident 
from  the  signification  of  a  "  creeping  thing,"  as  shown  before. 
That  creeping  things  here  mean  all  clean  beasts  and  birds,  is 
evident  to  every  one,  for  it  is  said  that  they  are  given  for  food. 
Creeping  things  in  their  proper  sense  are  such  as  are  vilest  of 
all  (as  named  in  Lev.  xi.  23,  29,  30),  and  were  unclean.     But 
in  a  broad  sense,  as  here,  animals  are  meant  which  are  given 
for  food ;  yet  here  they  are  called  "  creeping  things,"  because 
they  signify  pleasures.     Man's  affections  are  signified  in  the 
Word  by  clean  beasts,  as  already  said ;  but  since  his  affections 
are  perceived  only  in  his  pleasures,  so  that  he  calls  them  pleas- 
ures, they  are  here  called  "  creeping  things."     [2]  Pleasures 
are  of  two  kinds :  those  of  the  will,  and  those  of  the  under- 


N.  994]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  3  495 

standing.  In  general  there  are  the  pleasures  of  possession  of 
land  and  wealth,  the  pleasures  of  honor  and  office  in  the  state, 
the  pleasures  of  conjugial  love  and  of  love  for  infants  and  chil- 
dren, the  pleasures  of  friendship  and  of  converse  with  com- 
panions, the  pleasures  of  reading,  of  writing,  of  knowing,  of 
being  wise ;  and  many  others.  There  are  also  the  pleasures  of 
the  senses  :  as  the  pleasure  of  hearing,  which  is  in  general  that 
from  the  sweetness  of  music  and  song ;  and  that  of  seeing, 
which  is  in  general  that  of  various  and  manifold  beauties ;  and 
of  smelling,  which  is  from  the  sweetness  of  odors ;  and  of 
tasting,  which  is  from  the  agreeableness  and  wholesomeness 
of  foods  and  drinks  ;  and  of  touch,  from  many  pleasing  sensa- 
tions. These  kinds  of  pleasures,  being  felt  in  the  body,  are 
called  pleasures  of  the  body.  But  no  pleasure  ever  exists  in 
the  body  unless  it  exists  and  subsists  from  an  interior  affec- 
tion, and  no  interior  affection  exists  except  from  one  more  inte- 
rior, in  which  is  the  use  and  the  end.  [3]  These  things  which, 
in  regular  order,  are  interior,  commencing  from  those  which  are 
inmost,  are  not  perceived  by  man  while  he  lives  in  the  body, 
and  most  men  hardly  know  that  they  exist,  still  less  that  they 
are  the  source  of  pleasures ;  when  yet  nothing  can  ever  exist 
in  externals  except  from  things  interior  in  order.  Pleasures 
are  only  ultimate  effects.  The  interior  things  do  not  lie  open 
to  view  so  long  as  men  live  in  the  body,  except  to  those  who 
reflect  upon  them.  In  the  other  life  they  for  the  first  time 
come  forth  to  view,  and  indeed  in  the  order  in  which  they  are 
elevated  by  the  Lord  toward  heaven.  Interior  affections  with 
their  delights  manifest  themselves  in  the  world  of  spirits,  the 
more  interior  with  their  delights  in  the  heaven  of  angelic 
spirits,  and  the  still  more  interior  with  their  happiness  in  the 
heaven  of  angels ;  for  there  are  three  heavens,  one  more  in- 
terior, more  perfect,  and  more  happy  than  another  (see  n.  459, 
684).  These  interiors  unfold  and  present  themselves  to  per- 
ception in  the  other  life  ;  but  so  long  as  man  lives  in  the  body, 
since  he  is  all  the  time  in  the  idea  and  thought  of  corporeal 
things,  these  interior  things  are  as  it  were  asleep,  being  im- 
mersed in  the  corporeal  things.  But  yet  it  may  be  evident 
to  any  one  who  reflects,  that  all  pleasures  are  such  as  are  the 
affections  that  are  more  and  more  interior  in  order,  and  that 


496  GENESIS  [N.  994 

they  receive  from  these  all  their  essence  and  quality.  [4] 
Since  the  affections  that  are  more  and  more  interior  in  order 
are  felt  in  the  extremes  or  outermost  things,  that  is,  in  the 
body,  as  pleasures,  they  are  called  "  creeping  things,"  but  they 
are  only  corporeal  things  affected  by  internal  ones,  as  must 
be  evident  to  every  one  merely  from  sight  and  its  pleasures. 
Except  there  be  interior  sight,  no  eye  can  ever  see.  The  sight 
of  the  eye  exists  from  interior  sight,  and  for  this  reason  after 
the  death  of  the  body  man  sees  equally  as  well  and  even  better 
than  when  he  lived  in  the  body — not  indeed  worldly  and  cor- 
poreal things,  but  those  of  the  other  life.  Those  who  were 
blind  in  the  life  of  the  body,  see  in  the  other  life  as  well  as 
those  who  had  keen  vision.  So  too  when  man  sleeps,  he  sees  in 
his  dreams  as  clearly  as  when  awake.  It  has  been  given  me  to 
see  by  internal  sight  the  things  in  the  other  life  more  clearly 
than  I  see  the  things  in  the  world.  From  all  this  it  is  evident 
that  external  sight  comes  forth  from  interior  sight,  and  this 
from  sight  still  more  interior,  and  so  on.  It  is  similar  with 
every  other  sense  and  with  every  pleasure.  [5]  Pleasures  are 
likewise  in  other  parts  of  the  Word  called  "  creeping  things," 
with  a  distinction  between  the  clean  and  the  unclean,  that  is, 
between  pleasures  the  delights  of  which  are  living,  or  heavenly, 
and  pleasures  the  delights  of  which  are  dead  or  infernal.  As 
in  Hosea : — 

In  that  day  will  I  make  a  covenant  for  them  with  the  wild  animal  of 
the  field,  and  with  the  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  with  the  creeping  thing 
of  the  ground  (ii.  18). 

That  here  the  wild  animal  of  the  field,  the  fowl  of  the  heavens, 
and*  the  creeping  thing,  signify  such  things  in  man  as  have 
been  said,  is  evident  from  the  subject  being  a  new  church.  In 
David : — 

Let  the  heavens  and  the  earth  praise  Jehovah,  the  seas,  and  every- 
thing that  creepeth  therein  (Ps.  Ixix.  34). 

The  seas  and  the  things  that  creep  therein  cannot  praise  Jeho- 
vah, but  the  things  in  man  that  are  signified  by  them  and  are 
living,  thus  from  what  is  living  within  them.  Again  : — 

Praise  Jehovah  ye  wild  animal  and  every  beast,  creeping  thing  and 
winged  fowl  (cxlviiL  10), 


N.  994]  CHAPTER  IX.  VEK.  3  497 

with  a  similar  meaning.  [6]  That  here  by  "  creeping  thing" 
nothing  else  is  meant  than  good  affections  from  which  are 
pleasures,  is  evident  also  from  creeping  things  being  with  this 
people  unclean,  as  will  be  plain  from  what  follows.  Again : — 

0  Jehovah  the  earth  is  full  of  Thy  riches ;  this  sea,  great  and  wide, 
wherein  are  things  creeping  without  number  ;  these  wait  all  upon  Thee, 
that  Thou  mayest  give  them  their  food  in  due  season  ;  Thou  givest  them, 
they  gather ;  Thou  openest  Thy  hand,  they  are  satiated  with  good  (civ. 
24-28). 

Here  in  the  internal  sense  by  "  seas"  are  signified  spiritual 
things,  by  "  things  creeping,"  all  things  that  live  therefrom ; 
the  enjoyment  is  signified  by  giving  them  food  in  due  season, 
and  by  their  being  satiated  with  good.  In  Ezeldel : — 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  every  living  soul  that  creepeth,  in  every 
place  whither  the  rivera  come,  shall  live  ;  and  there  shall  be  a  very  great 
multitude  of  fish,  because  these  waters  are  come  thither,  and  they  shall 
be  healed,  and  everything  shall  live  whithersoever  the  river  cometh 
(xlvii.  9). 

Here  are  meant  the  waters  of  the  New  Jerusalem ;  these  waters 
denote  spiritual  things  from  a  celestial  origin ;  "  the  living 
soul  that  creepeth,"  the  affections  of  good,  and  the  pleasures 
therefrom,  both  of  the  body  and  of  the  senses ;  that  these 
live  from  the  "  waters,"  or  from  spiritual  things  from  a  celes- 
tial origin,  is  very  evident.  [7]  That  filthy  pleasures  too, 
which  have  their  origin  in  what  is  man's  own,  thus  in  the  foul 
cupidities  thereof,  are  also  called  "  creeping  things,"  is  evident 
in  Ezekiel : — 

So  I  went  in  and  saw  ;  and  behold  every  form  of  creeping  thing  and 
of  beast,  the  abomination,  and  all  the  idols  of  the  house  of  Israel,  per 
trayed  upon  the  wall  round  about  (viii.  10). 

Here  the  "  form  of  creeping  thing"  signifies  unclean  pleasures 
whose  interiors  are  cupidities,  and  the  interiors  of  these, 
hatreds,  revenges,  cruelties,  and  adulteries ;  such  are  the  "  creep- 
ing things,"  or  delights  of  pleasures  from  the  love  of  self 
and  of  the  world,  or  from  man's  Own,  which  are  their  "  idols" 
because  they  regard  them  as  delightful,  love  them,  have  them 
for  gods,  and  thus  adore  them.  In  the  representative  church, 
these  creeping  things,  because  they  had  such  a  vile  significa- 
tion, were  likewise  so  unclean  that  it  was  not  permitted  even 
VOL.  I.— 32 


498  GENESIS  [N.  994 

to  touch  them ;  and  he  who  but  touched  them  was  unclean  (as 
may  be  seen  in  Lev.  v.  2 ;  xi.  31-33 ;  xxii.  5,  6). 

995.  Shall  be  food  for  you.  That  this  signifies  its  delight 
which  they  should  enjoy,  is  evident  from  this,  that  any  pleas- 
ure not  only  affects  man,  but  also  sustains  him,  like  food. 
Pleasure  without  delight  is  not  pleasure,  but  is  something 
without  life,  and  only  from  delight  is  and  is  called  pleasure. 
Such  also  as  is  the  delight,  such  is  the  pleasure.  Corporeal 
and  sensuous  things  are  in  themselves  only  material,  lifeless, 
and  dead ;  but  from  delights  which  come  in  order  from  the  in- 
teriors, they  have  life.  From  this  it  is  evident  that  such  as  is 
the  life  of  the  interiors,  such  is  the  delight  in  the  pleasures,  for 
in  the  delight  there  is  life.  The  delight  in  which  there  is  good 
from  the  Lord  is  alone  living,  for  it  is  then  from  the  very  life 
of  good ;  for  which  reason  it  is  here  said,  "  every  creeping  thing 
that  liveth  shall  be  food  for  you,"  that  is,  for  enjoyment.  [2] 
Some  think  that  no  one  ought  ever  to  live  in  the  pleasures  of 
the  body  and  its  senses  who  wishes  to  be  happy  in  the  other 
life,  but  that  all  these  should  be  renounced  on  the  ground  that 
they  are  corporeal  and  worldly,  withdrawing  man  and  keeping 
him  away  from  spiritual  and  heavenly  life.  But  those  who 
think  so  and  therefore  reduce  themselves  to  voluntary  misery 
while  they  live  in  the  world,  are  not  well-inf  ormed  as  to  what  the 
real  case  is.  No  one  is  forbidden  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  the 
body  and  its  senses,  that  is,  the  pleasures  of  possession  of  lands 
and  wealth ;  the  pleasures  of  honor  and  office  in  the  state ;  the 
pleasures  of  conjugial  love  and  of  love  for  infants  and  children ; 
the  pleasures  of  friendship  and  of  intercourse  with  compan- 
ions ;  the  pleasures  of  hearing,  or  of  the  sweetness  of  singing 
and  music ;  the  pleasures  of  sight,  or  of  beauties,  which  are 
manifold,  as  those  of  becoming  dress,  of  elegant  dwellings  with 
their  furniture,  beautiful  gardens,  and  the  like,  which  are  de- 
lightful from  harmony  of  form  and  color;  the  pleasures  of 
smell,  or  of  fragrant  odors ;  the  pleasures  of  taste,  or  of  the 
flavors  and  benefits  of  food  and  drink ;  the  pleasures  of  touch. 
For  these  are  most  external  or  bodily  affections  arising  from  in- 
terior affections,  as  already  said.  [3]  Interior  affections,  which 
are  living,  all  derive  their  delight  from  good  and  truth ;  and 
good  and  truth  derive  their  delight  from  charity  and  faith,  and 


N.  996]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  3  499 

in  this  case  do  so  from  the  Lord,  thus  from  life  itself;  where- 
fore the  affections  and  pleasures  therefrom  are  living.  And 
since  genuine  pleasures  have  this  origin,  they  are  denied  to  no 
one.  Indeed,  when  they  are  from  this  origin  their  delight  in- 
definitely surpasses  delight  not  from  this  source,  which  is  in 
comparison  unclean.  For  example,  the  pleasure  of  conjugial 
love,  when  it  has  its  origin  from  true  conjugial  love,  surpasses 
immeasurably  pleasure  that  has  not  this  origin,  so  much  so  that 
those  who  are  in  true  conjugial  love  are  in  heavenly  delight 
and  happiness,  since  it  comes  down  from  heaven.  This  was 
acknowledged  by  the  men  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church.  The 
delight  from  adulteries  felt  by  adulterers  was  to  those  men  so 
abominable  that  when  they  thought  of  it  they  shuddered.  From 
all  this  it  is  evident  what  is  the  nature  of  the  delight  that 
does  not  flow  from,  the  true  fountain  of  life,  or  from  the  Lord. 
[4]  That  the  pleasures  above  mentioned  are  never  denied  to 
man,  and  that  so  far  from  being  denied  they  are  then  first 
really  pleasures  when  they  come  from  their  true  origin,  may 
also  be  seen  from  the  fact  that  very  many  who  have  lived  in 
power,  dignity,  and  opulence  in  the  world,  and  who  had  all 
pleasures  in  abundance,  both  of  the  body  and  of  the  senses,  are 
among  the  blessed  and  happy  in  heaven,  and  with  them  now 
the  interior  delights  and  happinesses  are  living,  because  they 
have  had  their  origin  in  the  goods  of  charity  and  the  truths 
that  are  of  faith  in  the  Lord.  And  since  they  had  regarded  all 
their  pleasures  as  coming  from  charity  and  faith  in  the  Lord, 
they  regarded  them  from  use,  which  was  their  end.  Use  itself 
was  the  most  delightful  thing  to  them,  and  from  this  came  the 
delight  of  their  pleasures.  (See  what  has  been  related  from 
experience,  n.  945.) 

996.  That  the  "  esculent  herb''  signifies  the  vile  things  of 
delights  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said.  They  are  called 
the  esculent  herb  because  they  are  only  worldly  and  corporeal, 
or  external.  For,  as  already  said,  the  pleasures  that  are  in  the 
bodily  or  outermost  things  of  man  have  their  origin  in  delights 
that  are  successively  more  and  more  interior.  The  delights 
that  are  perceived  in  those  outermost  or  bodily  things  are  rela- 
tively vile,  for  it  is  the  nature  of  all  delight  to  become  more 
vile  in  proportion  as  it  progresses  toward  the  externals,  and 


500  GENESIS  [N.  996 

more  happy  in  proportion  as  it  advances  toward  the  internals. 
For  this  reason,  as  before  said,  in  proportion  as  the  externals 
are  stripped  off,  or  rolled  away,  the  delights  become  more 
pleasant  and  happy,  as  may  be  evident  enough  from  man's  de- 
light in  pleasures  being  vile  while  he  lives  in  the  body,  in  com- 
parison with  his  delight  after  the  life  of  the  body,  when  he 
comes  into  the  world  of  spirits  ;  so  vile  indeed  that  good  spirits 
utterly  spurn  the  delights  of  the  body,  nor  would  they  return 
to  them  if  all  in  the  whole  world  should  be  given  them.  [2] 
The  delight  of  these  spirits  in  like  manner  becomes  vile  when 
they  are  taken  up  by  the  Lord  into  the  heaven  of  angelic  spirits ; 
for  they  then  throw  off  these  interior  delights  and  enter  into 
those  that  are  still  more  interior.  So  again  to  angelic  spirits 
the  delight  which  they  have  had  in  their  heaven  becomes  vile 
when  they  are  taken  up  by  the  Lord  into  the  angelic  or  third 
heaven,  in  which  heaven,  since  internal  things  are  there  living, 
and  there  is  nothing  but  mutual  love,  the  happiness  is  unspeak- 
able. (See  what  is  said  of  interior  delight  or  happiness  above, 
n.  545.)  From  these  things  it  is  evident  what  is  signified  by 
"  as  the  esculent  herb  have  I  given  it  all  to  you."  Inasmuch 
as  creeping  things  signify  both  pleasures  of  the  body  and  pleas- 
ures of  the  senses,  of  which  the  esculent  herb  is  predicated,  the 
word  in  the  original  language  is  one  which  signifies  both  "  es- 
culent" and  "  green" — "  esculent"  hi  reference  to  pleasures  of 
the  will,  or  of  celestial  affections,  and  "  green"  in  reference  to 
pleasures  of  the  understanding,  or  of  spiritual  affections.  [3] 
That  the  "  esculent  herb"  and  "  green  herb"  signify  what  is 
vile,  is  evident  in  the  Word,  as  in  Isaiah  : — 

The  waters  of  Nimrim  shall  be  desolate  ;  for  the  grass  is  dried  up,  the 
herbage  is  consumed,  there  is  no  green  thing  (xv.  6). 

Again : — 

Their  inhabitants  were  short  of  hand,  they  were  dismayed,  and  put  to 
shame ;  they  became  the  herb  of  the  field,  and  the  green  herbage,  the 
grass  on  the  house  tops  (xxxvii.  27), 

the  "  green  herbage"  denoting  what  is  most  vile.     In  Moses : — 

The  land  whither  thou  goest  in  to  possess  it,  is  not  as  the  land  of 
Egypt,  from  whence  ye  came  out,  where  thou  sowedst  thy  seed,  and 
wateredst  it  with  thy  foot,  as  a  garden  of  herbs  (Deut.  xi.  10), 


N.  996]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  3  501 

where  a  "  garden  of  herbs"  denotes  what  is  vile.     In  David : — 

The  evil  are  as  grass,  suddenly  are  they  cut  down,  and  will  be  con- 
sumed as  the  green  herbage  (Ps.  xxxvii.  2), 

where  "  grass''  and  the  "  green  herbage"  denote  what  is  most 
vile. 

997.  Have  I  given  it  all  to  you.     That  this  signifies  enjoy- 
ment on  account  of  use,  is  because  it  is  "  for  food ;"  for  what- 
ever is  given  for  food  is  for  use.     With  regard  to  use :  those 
who  are  in  charity,  that  is,  in  love  to  the  neighbor  (from  which 
is  the  delight  in  pleasures  that  is  alive),  pay  no  regard  to  the 
enjoyment  of  pleasures  except  on  account  of  the  use.    For  there 
is  no  charity  apart  from  works  of  charity ;  it  is  in  its  practice 
or  use  that  charity  consists.     He  who  loves  the  neighbor  as 
himself  perceives  no  delight  in  charity  except  in  its  exercise, 
or  in  use ;   and  therefore  a  life  of  charity  is  a  life  of  uses, 
ftuch  is  the  life  of  the  whole  heaven ;  for  the  kingdom  of  the 
Lord,  because  it  is  a  kingdom  of  mutual  love,  is  a  kingdom  of 
uses.     Every  pleasure  therefore  which  is  from  charity,  has  its 
delight  from  use.     The  more  noble  the  use,  the  greater  the  de- 
light.    Consequently  the  angels  have  happiness  from  the  Lord 
according  to  the  essence  and  quality  of  their  "use.     [2]  And  so 
it  is  with  every  pleasure — the  more  noble  its  use,  the  greater 
its  delight.     For  example,  the  delight  of  conjugial  love :  be- 
cause this  love  is  the  seminary  of  human  society,  and  thereby 
of  the  Lord's  kingdom  in  the  heavens,  which  is  the  greatest  of 
all  uses,  it  has  in  it  so  much  delight  that  it  is  the  very  happi- 
ness of  heaven.     It  is  the  same  with  all  other  pleasures,  but 
with  a  difference  according  to  the  excellence  of  the  uses,  which 
are  so  manifold  that  they  can  scarcely  be  classed  in  genera  and 
species,  some  having  regard  more  nearly  and  directly,  and  some 
more  remotely  and  indirectly,  to  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord,  or 
to  the  Lord.     From  these  things  it  is  further  evident  that  all 
pleasures  are   granted  to  man,  but  only  for  the  sake  of  use ; 
and  that  they  thus,  with  a  difference  from  the  use  in  which 
they  are,  partake  of  heavenly  happiness  and  live  from  it. 

998.  Verse  4    Only  the  flesh  with  the  soul  thereof,  the  blood 
thereof,  shall  ye  not  eat.     "  Flesh"  signifies  the  will  part  of 
man ;  the  "  soul"  signifies  the  new  life ;  the  "  blood"  signifies 


502  GENESIS  [N.  998 

charity ;  "  not  to  eat"  signifies  not  to  mingle  together ;  where- 
fore by  "  not  eating  flesh  with  the  soul  thereof,  the  blood 
thereof,"  is  meant  not  mingling  profane  things  with  holy. 

999.  That  "  flesh"  signifies  the  will  part  of  man,  is  evident 
from  the  signification  of  "  flesh"  in  its  proper  sense  in  refer- 
ence to  man  when  corrupt.  "  Flesh,"  in  general,  signifies  the 
whole  man,  and  specifically  tne  corporeal  man,  as  may  be  seen 
above  (n.  574)  ;  and  since  it  signifies  the  whole  man,  and  spe- 
cifically the  corporeal  man,  it  signifies  what  is  proper  to  man, 
consequently  his  will  part.  Man's  will  part,  or  will,  is  nothing 
but  evil;  and  therefore  "flesh,"  predicated  of  man,  because  he 
is  such,  signifies  all  cupidity,  or  all  concupiscence,  for  man's 
will  is  nothing  but  cupidity,  as  occasionally  shown  before. 
And  because  "  flesh"  has  this  signification,  such  was  also  the 
representation  of  the  flesh  which  the  people  lusted  after  in  the 
desert — as  in  Moses  : — 

The  mixed  multitude  that  was  among  them  fell  a  lusting  ;  whence 
they  wept  again,  and  said,  Who  shall  give  us  flesh  to  eat  ?  (Num.  xi.  4). 

Here  flesh  is  plainly  called  lust,  for  it  is  said  that  they  fell  a 
lusting,  saying,  Who  shall  give  us  flesh  ?  The  same  is  like- 
wise evident  from  what  follows  : — 

While  the  flesh  was  yet  between  their  teeth,  ere  it  was  chewed,  the 
anger  of  Jehovah  was  kindled  against  the  people,  and  Jehovah  smote  the 
people  with  a  very  great  plague  ;  and  the  name  of  that  place  was  called 
the  Graves  of  Lust,  because  there  they  buried  the  people  that  lusted  (verses 
33,  34). 

[2]  It  must  be  evident  to  every  one  that  such  a  plague  would 
never  have  been  sent  among  the  people  on  account  of  their 
lusting  after  flesh,  thus  not  on  account  of  a  lust  for  flesh,  since 
this  is  natural  when  a  man  has  been  kept  from  eating  it  for  a 
long  time,  as  the  people  then  had  in  the  wilderness.  But  a 
deeper  reason  lies  hidden,  which  is  spiritual,  namely,  that  the 
people  were  of  such  a  nature  as  to  loathe  what  was  signified 
and  represented  by  the  manna — as  is  evident  also  from  the 
sixth  verse — and  to  desire  only  such  things  as  were  signified 
and  represented  by  "  flesh,"  the  things  of  their  own  will,  which 
are  of  those  of  cupidities,  and  in  themselves  are  excrementi- 
tious  and  profane.  It  was  because  that  church  was  represent- 
ative, from  the  representation  of  such  things,  that  the  people 


N.  999]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  4  503 

were  afflicted  with  so  great  a  plague;  for  what  was  done 
among  the  people  was  represented  spiritually  in  heaven.  The 
manna  represented  in  heaven  what  is  heavenly,  and  the  flesh 
which  they  lusted  after,  the  unclean  things  of  their  own  will. 
For  this  reason,  because  they  were  of  such  a  nature,  they  were 
punished.  From  these  and  other  passages  in  the  Word,  it  is 
evident  that  by  "  flesh"  is  signified  what  is  of  the  will,  and 
here  of  the  will  of  man,  the  uncleanness  of  which  may  be  seen 
under  the  second  verse  of  this  chapter,  where  the  beast  of  the 
earth  is  treated  of. 

1000.  That  the  "  soul"  signifies  life,  is  evident  from  the 
signification  of  "  soul"  in  the  Word,  in  many  places.    "  Soul" 
in  the  Word  signifies  in  general  all  life,  as  well  internal,  or 
that  of  the  internal  man,  as  external,  or  that  of  the  external 
man.     And  because  it  signifies  all  life,  it  signifies  such  life  as 
is  that  of  the  man  of  whom  the  soul  is  predicated.     Here  it 
is  predicated  of  the  life  of  the  regenerate  man,  which  is  sep- 
arate from  man's  will ;  for,  as  already  said,  the  new  life  which 
the  regenerate  spiritual  man  receives  from  the  Lord  is  entirely 
separate  from  the  will  or  Own  of  the  man,  that  is,  from  the 
life  that  is  his  own,  which  is  not  life,  though  so  called,  but  is 
death,  because  it  is  infernal  life.     Here  therefore  "  flesh  with 
the  soul  thereof,"  which  they  should  not  eat,  signifies  flesh  to- 
gether with  its  soul ;  that  is,  they  should  not  mingle  this  new 
life,  which  is  of  the  Lord,  with  the  evil  or  excrementitious  life 
which  is  of  man,  that  is,  with  his  will  or  Own. 

1001.  That  the  "blood"  signifies  charity,  is  evident  from 
many  things.     Thus  it  signifies  the  new  will  part  which  the 
regenerate  spiritual  man  receives  from  the  Lord,  and  which  is 
the  same  as  charity,  for  the  new  will  is  formed  of  charity. 
Charity  or  love  is  the  very  essential  or  life  of  the  will,  for  no 
one  can  say  that  he  wills  anything,  except  from  choosing  or 
loving  it.    To  say  that  one  thinks  a  thing  is  not  to  will  it,  un- 
less willing  is  in  the  thought.     This  new  will  which  is  of 
charity  is  here  the  "  blood,"  and  this  will  is  not  the  man's,  but 
the  Lord's  in  the  man.     And  because  it  is  the  Lord's,  it  is 
never  to  be  mingled  with  the  things  of  man's  will,  and  which 
are  so  foul,  as  has  been  shown.     For  this  reason  it  was  com- 
manded in  the  representative  church  that  they  should  not  eat 


504  GENESIS  [N.  1001 

flesh  with  the  soul  or  blood  thereof,  that  is,  should  not  mingle 
the  two  together.  [2]  The  "blood,"  because  it  signified 
charity,  signified  what  is  holy;  and  the  "flesh,"  because  it 
signified  man's  will,  signified  what  is  profane.  And  because 
these  things  are  separate,  being  contrary,  they  were  forbidden 
to  eat  blood ;  for  by  eating  flesh  with  the  blood  was  then  rep- 
resented in  heaven  profanation,  or  the  mingling  of  what  is 
sacred  with  what  is  profane ;  and  this  representation  in  hea- 
ven could  not  then  but  strike  the  angels  with  horror ;  for  at 
that  time  all  things  existing  with  the  man  of  the  church  were 
turned,  among  the  angels,  into  corresponding  spiritual  repre- 
sentations, in  accordance  with  the  signification  of  the  things 
in  the  internal  sense.  As  the  nature  of  all  things  is  deter- 
mined by  that  of  the  man  of  whom  they  are  predicated,  so  also 
is  the  signification  of  "  blood."  Relatively  to  the  regenerate 
spiritual  man,  "blood"  signifies  charity,  or  love  toward  the 
neighbor;  relatively  to  the  regenerate  celestial  man  it  signi- 
fies love  to  the  Lord ;  but  relatively  to  the  Lord  it  signifies 
all  His  Human  essence,  consequently  Love  itself,  that  is,  His 
mercy  toward  the  human  race.  Hence  "blood,"  in  general, 
because  it  signifies  love  and  what  is  of  love,  signifies  celes- 
tial things,  which  are  of  the  Lord  alone;  and  thus  relatively 
to  man  the  celestial  things  which  he  receives  from  the  Lord. 
The  celestial  things  which  the  regenerate  spiritual  man  receives 
from  the  Lord,  are  celestial  spiritual — of  which,  by  the  Di- 
vine mercy  of  the  Lord,  elsewhere.  [3]  That  "  blood"  signi- 
fies what  is  celestial,  and  in  the  supreme  sense  signified  the 
Human  essence  of  the  Lord,  thus  love  itself,  or  His  mercy  to- 
ward the  human  race,  is  evident  from  the  sanctity  in  which 
it  was  commanded  that  blood  should  be  held  in  the  Jewish 
representative  church.  For  this  reason  blood  was  called  the 
blood  of  the  covenant,  and  was  sprinkled  upon  the  people,  as 
also  upon  Aaron  and  his  sons,  together  with  the  anointing  oil ; 
and  the  blood  of  every  burnt-offering  and  sacrifice  was  sprin- 
kled upon  and  around  the  altar  (see  Exod.  xii.  7,  13,  22,  23 ; 
xxiv.  6,  8 ;  Lev.  i.  5,  11,  15 ;  iv.  6,  7,  17,  18,  25,  30,  34 ;  v.  9 ; 
xvi.  14,  15,  18,  19 ;  Num  xviii.  17 ;  Deut.  xii.  27).  [4]  And 
because  blood  was  held  so  sacred  and  man's  will  is  so  profane, 
the  eating  of  blood  was  severely  prohibited,  on  account  of  its 


N.  1001]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  4  505 

representation  of  the  profanation  of  what  is  holy.  As  in 
Moses : — 

It  shall  be  a  perpetual  statute  throughout  your  generations  in  all  your 
dwellings,  that  ye  shall  eat  neither  fat  nor  blood  (Lev.  iii.  17). 

"Fat"  here  denotes  celestial  life,  and  "blood"  celestial  spir- 
itual life.  The  celestial  spiritual  is  the  spiritual  which  is 
from  the  celestial ;  as  in  the  Most  Ancient  Church  love  to  the 
Lord  was  their  celestial,  because  implanted  in  their  will ;  their 
celestial  spiritual  was  the  faith  therefrom,  of  which  see  above 
(n.  30-38,  337,  393,  398).  With  the  spiritual  man,  however, 
the  celestial  does  not  exist,  but  the  celestial  spiritual,  because 
charity  has  been  implanted  in  his  intellectual  part.  Again  in 
Moses : — 

Whosoever  of  the  house  of  Israel,  or  of  the  sojourner  sojourning  among 
them,  eateth  any  manner  of  blood,  I  will  set  My  faces  against  that  soul 
that  eateth  blood,  and  will  cut  him  off  from  among  his  people  ;  for  the  soul 
of  the  flesh  is  in  the  blood  ;  and  I  have  given  it  to  you  upon  the  altar,  to 
make  atonement  for  your  souls ;  for  it  is  the  blood  that  maketh  atone- 
ment for  the  soul.  The  soul  of  all  flesh,  it  is  the  blood  thereof  ;  whoso- 
ever eateth  it  shall  be  cut  off  (Lev.  xvii.  10,  11,  14). 

Here  it  is  plainly  shown  that  the  soul  of  the  flesh  is  in  the 
blood,  and  that  the  soul  of  the  flesh  is  the  blood,  or  the  celes- 
tial, that  is,  the  holy,  which  is  the  Lord's,  [o]  Again : — 

Be  sure  that  thou  eat  not  the  blood  ;  for  the  blood  is  the  soul,  and  thou 
shall  not  eat  the  soul  with  the  flesh  (Deut.  xii.  23-25). 

From  this  passage  also  it  is  evident  that  the  blood  is  called  the 
soul,  that  is,  celestial  life,  or  the  celestial,  which  was  repre- 
sented by  the  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices  of  that  church. 
And  in  the  same  way,  that  what  is  celestial,  which  is  the  Lord's 
Own  (Domini  Proprium) — which  alone  is  celestial  and  holy — 
was  not  to  be  commingled  with  that  which  is  man's  own — 
which  is  profane — was  also  represented  by  the  command  that 
they  should  not  sacrifice  or  offer  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice  on 
what  was  leavened  (Exod.  xxiii.  18 ;  xxxiv.  25).  What  was 
leavened  signified  what  is  corrupt  and  defiled.  That  blood  is 
called  the  soul  and  signifies  the  holy  of  charity,  and  that  the 
holy  of  love  was  represented  in  the  Jewish  Church  by  blood, 
is  because  the  life  of  the  body  consists  in  the  blood.  And  as 
the  life  of  the  body  consists  in  the  blood,  this  is  its  ultimate 


506  GENESIS  [N.  1001 

soul,  so  that  the  blood  may  be  said  to  be  the  corporeal  soul,  or 
that  in  which  is  the  corporeal  life  of  man ;  and  inasmuch  as 
in  the  representative  churches  internal  things  were  repre- 
sented by  external,  the  soul  or  celestial  life  was  represented 
by  the  blood. 

1002.  Shall  ye  not  eat.     That  this  signifies  not  to  mingle 
together,  follows  from  what  has  just  been  said.     Eating  the 
flesh  of  animals,  regarded  in  itself,  is  something  profane,  for 
in  the  most  ancient  time  they  never  ate  the  flesh  of  any  beast 
or  bird,  but  only  seeds,  especially  bread  made  from  wheat,  also 
the  fruit  of  trees,  vegetables,  various  milks  and  what  was  made 
from  them,  such  as  various  butters.     To  kill  animals  and  eat 
their  flesh  was  to  them  a  wickedness,  and  like  wild  beasts. 
They  took  from  them  only  service  and  use,  as  is  evident  from 
Genesis  i.  29,  30.     But  in  process  of  time,  when  men  began 
to  be  as  fierce  as  wild  beasts,  and  even  fiercer,  they  then  for 
the  first  time  began  to  kill  animals  and  eat  their  flesh ;  and 
because  such  was  man's  nature,  it  was  permitted  him  to  do 
this,  and  is  still  permitted,  to  this  day ;  and  so  far  as  he  does 
it  from  conscience,  so  far  it  is  lawful  for  him,  since  his  con- 
science is  formed  of  all  that  he  supposes  to  be  true  and  thus 
lawful.     No  one  therefore  is  at  this  day  condemned  because 
of  eating  flesh. 

1003.  From  these  things  it  is  now  evident  that  "not  to  eat 
flesh  with  the  soul  thereof,  the  blood  thereof,"  is  not  to  mingle 
profane  things  with  holy.     Profane  things  are  not  mingled 
with  holy  by  one's  eating  blood  with  flesh,  as  the  Lord  clearly 
teaches  in  Matthew : — 

Not  that  which  entereth  into  the  mouth  defileth  the  man ;  but  that 
which  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth,  this  defileth  the  man  ;  for  the  things 
which  proceed  out  of  the  mouth  come  forth  out  of  the  heart  (xv.  11, 
18-20). 

But  in  the  Jewish  Church  it  was  forbidden  because,  as  has 
been  said,  by  the  eating  of  blood  with  the  flesh  there  was  then 
in  heaven  represented  profanation.  All  things  done  in  that 
church  were  turned  in  heaven  into  corresponding  representa- 
tives— blood  into  the  holy  celestial ;  flesh,  outside  of  the  sacri- 
fices, because  it  signified  cupidities,  into  what  is  profane ;  and 
the  eating  of  both  into  the  mingling  of  the  holy  with  the  profane. 


N.  1003]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  4  507 

For  this  reason  it  was  then  so  severely  interdicted.  But  after 
the  coming  of  the  Lord,  when  external  rites  were  abolished,  and 
thus  representatives  ceased,  such  things  were  no  longer  turned 
in  heaven  into  corresponding  representatives.  For  when  man 
becomes  internal  and  is  instructed  about  internal  things,  ex- 
ternal ones  are  of  no  account  to  him.  He  then  knows  what 
the  holy  is,  namely,  charity  and  the  faith  therefrom.  Accord- 
ing to  these  are  his  external  things  then  regarded,  that  is  to 
say,  according  to  the  amount  of  charity  and  faith  in  the  Lord 
there  is  in  them.  Since  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  therefore, 
man  is  not  regarded  in  heaven  from  external  things,  but  from 
internal  ones.  And  if  any  one  is  regarded  from  external 
things  it  is  because  he  is  in  simplicity,  and  in  his  simplicity 
there  are  innocence  and  charity,  which  are  in  his  external 
things,  that  is,  in  his  external  worship,  from  the  Lord,  without 
the  man's  knowledge. 

1004.  Verse  5.   And  surely  your  blood  with  your  souls  will  I 
require  ;  from  the  hand  of  every  ivild  beast  will  /  require  it ; 
and  from  the  hand  of  man,  from  the  hand  of  the  man  his 
brother  will  I  require  the  soul  of  man.     "And  surely  your  blood 
with  your  souls  will  I  require,"  signifies  that  violence  inflicted 
upon  charity  will  punish  itself ;  "  your  blood"  here,  is  violence ; 
"  souls"  are  they  who  inflict  violence  ;  "  from  the  hand  of  every 
wild  beast,"  signifies  from  all  that  is  violent  in  man ;  "  from 
the  hand  of  man,"  is  from  all  his  will ;  "  from  the  hand  of  the 
man  his  brother,"  is  from  all  his  understanding ;  "  will  I  re- 
quire the  soul  of  man,"  is  to  avenge  profanation. 

1005.  And  surely  your  blood  with  your  souls  will  I  require. 
That  this  signifies  that  violence   inflicted  upon  charity  will 
punish  itself,  and  that  "  blood"  is  violence,  and  "  souls"  they 
who  inflict  violence,  is  evident  from  what  precedes  and  what 
follows,  as  also  from  the  signification  of  "blood"  in  the  oppo- 
site sense,  and  from  the  signification  of  "  soul"  in  the  opposite 
sense.     From  what  precedes,  because  in  the  preceding  verse 
the  eating  of  blood  is  treated  of,  by  which  is  signified  profa- 
nation, as  has  been  shown.     From  what  follows,  as  the  next 
verse  treats  of  the  shedding  of  blood ;  and  therefore  here  the 
subject  is  the  state  and  punishment  of  him  who  mingles  what 
is  sacred  with  what  is  profane.     From  the  signification  of 


508  GENESIS  [N.  1005 

"  blood"  in  the  opposite  sense,  because  in  the  genuine  sense 
"  blood"  signifies  what  is  celestial,  and  in  reference  to  the  re- 
generate spiritual  man  charity,  which  is  his  celestial ;  but  in 
the  opposite  sense  "blood"  signifies  violence  inflicted  upon 
charity,  consequently  what  is  contrary  to  charity,  and  therefore 
all  hatred,  revenge,  cruelty,  and  especially  profanation,  as  may 
be  seen  from  the  passages  in  the  Word  cited  above  (n.  374, 
376).  From  the  signification  of  "  soul"  in  the  opposite  sense, 
since  "  soul"  in  the  Word  signifies  in  general  life,  thus  every 
man  who  lives;  but  since  such  as  man  is  such  is  his  life,  it 
signifies  also  the  man  who  brings  violence,  as  may  be  confirmed 
by  many  passages  from  the  Word,  but  here  only  by  this  from 
Moses : — 

He  that  eateth  blood,  I  will  set  My  faces  against  the  soul  that  eateth 
blood,  and  I  will  cut  it  off  from  among  his  people  ;  for  the  soul  of  the 
flesh  is  in  the  blood  ;  and  I  have  given  it  to  you  upon  the  altar  to  make 
atonement  for  your  souls  ;  for  it  is  the  blood  that  will  make  atonement 
for  the  soul  (Lev.  xvii.  10,  11,  14). 

Here  the  "  soul"  denotes  the  life  in  a  threefold  sense,  as  often 
elsewhere.  That  violence  inflicted  upon  charity  will  bring  pun- 
ishment on  itself,  will  be  evident  from  what  follows. 

1006.  From  the  hand  of  every  ivild  beast.     That  this  signi- 
fies from  all  that  is  violent  in  man,  is  evident  from  the  signi- 
fication of  "  wild  beast."     In  the  Word  "  wild  beast  (/era)" 
signifies  what  is  living  (as  shown  n.  908),  but  in  the  opposite 
sense  it  signifies  what  is  like  a  wild  beast,  thus  whatever  is 
ferine  in  man  (as  also  shown  above).     Therefore  it  signifies  a 
man  of  such  life,  namely,  a  violent  man,  or  one  who  inflicts 
violence  on  charity  ;  for  he  is  like  a  wild  beast.    Man  is  a  man 
from  love  and  charity,  but  he  is  a  wild  beast  from  hatred, 
revenge,  and  cruelty. 

1007.  From  the  hand  of  man  (homo).     That  this  is  from  all 
of  his  will,  and  that  "  from  the  hand  of  the  man  brother  (viri 
/rafo-is),"  is  from  all  of  his  intellectual,  is  evident  from  the  sig- 
nification of  "  man" — for  the  essential  and  life  of  man  is  his 
will,  and  such  as  the  will  is,  such  is  the  man — and  from  the 
signification  of  a  "  man  brother."     The  intellectual  in  man  is 
called  "  man  brother,"  as  shown  before  (n.  367).     Whether  it 
be  a  true  intellectual,  a  spurious  intellectual,  or  a  false  intel- 


N.  1007]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.   5  509 

lectual,  it  is  still  called  a  "  man  brother ;"  for  the  understand- 
ing is  called  "man  (vir)"  (n.  158,  265),  and  the  "brother"  of 
the  will  (n.  367).  "  Man  (homo)"  and  "  man  (vir)  brother"  are 
here  mentioned,  and  the  unclean  will  and  unclean  intellectual 
are  so  called,  because  profanation  is  here  treated  of,  no  men- 
tion or  representation  of  which  is  tolerated  in  heaven,  but  is 
at  once  rejected.  For  this  reason  such  mild  terms  are  here 
used,  and  the  meaning  of  the  words  of  this  verse  is  in  a  man- 
ner ambiguous,  that  it  may  not  be  known  in  heaven  that  such 
things  are  contained  in  it. 

1008.  Will  I  require  the  soul  of  man.  That  this  means  to 
avenge  profanation,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  in  the 
preceding  verse  and  in  this  verse,  for  the  subject  is  the  eating 
of  blood,  by  which  is  signified  profanation.  What  profanation 
is,  few  know,  and  still  less  what  its  punishment  is  in  the  other 
life.  Profanation  is  manifold.  He  who  utterly  denies  the 
truths  of  faith  does  not  profane  them,  as  do  not  the  nations 
which  live  outside  of  the  church  and  of  knowledges.  But  he 
profanes  them  who  knows  the  truths  of  faith,  and  especially 
he  who  acknowledges  them,  bears  them  in  his  mouth,  preaches 
them,  and  persuades  others  to  adopt  them,  and  yet  lives  in 
hatred,  revenge,  cruelty,  robbery,  and  adultery,  which  he  con- 
firms in  himself  by  many  things  that  he  extracts  from  the 
Word,  perverting  them  and  thus  immersing  them  in  these  foul 
evils.  He  it  is  who  profanes.  And  it  is  such  profanity  chiefly 
that  brings  death  to  a  man,  as  may  be  evident  from  this,  that 
in  the  other  life  what  is  profane  and  what  is  holy  are  entirely 
separated — what  is  profane  in  hell  and  what  is  holy  in  heaven. 
When  such  a  man  comes  into  the  other  life,  in  every  idea  of 
his  thought,  just  as  in  the  life  of  the  body,  what  is  holy  ad- 
heres to  what  is  profane.  He  cannot  there  bring  forth  a  single 
idea  of  what  is  holy  without  what  is  profane  being  seen  adher- 
ing, as  clearly  as  in  daylight,  there  is  such  perception  of  an- 
other's ideas  in  the  other  life.  Thus  in  everything  he  thinks 
profanation  is  manifest,  and  since  heaven  abhors  profanation, 
he  cannot  but  be  thrust  down  into  hell.  [2]  The  nature  of 
ideas  is  known  to  hardly  any  one.  It  is  supposed  that  they  are 
something  simple ;  but  in  each  idea  of  thought  there  are  things 
inniunerable,  variously  conjoined  so  as  to  make  a  certain  form, 


510  GENESIS  [N.  1008 

and  hence  pictured  image  of  the  man,  which  is  all  perceived 
and  even  seen  in  the  other  life.  Merely  for  example — when 
the  idea  of  a  place  occurs,  whether  of  a  country,  a  city,  or  a 
house,  then  an  idea  and  image  of  all  things  the  man  has  ever 
done  there  comes  forth,  and  they  are  all  seen  by  angels  and 
spirits ;  or  when  the  idea  of  a  person  whom  he  has  held  in 
hatred,  then  the  idea  comes  forth  of  all  things  which  he  has 
thought,  spoken,  and  done  against  him.  And  so  it  is  with  all 
other  ideas ;  when  they  come  up,  all  things  in  general  and  par- 
ticular that  he  has  conceived  and  impressed  on  himself  in 
regard  to  the  subject  in  question  lie  open  to  view.  As  when 
the  idea  of  marriage  arises,  if  he  has  been  an  adulterer,  all 
filthy  and  obscene  things  of  adultery,  even  of  thought  about  it, 
come  forth ;  likewise  all  things  with  which  he  has  confirmed 
adulteries — whether  from  things  of  sense,  from  things  of  rea- 
son, or  from  the  Word — and  how  he  has  adulterated  and  per- 
verted the  truths  of  the  Word.  [3]  Moreover,  the  idea  of  one 
thing  flows  into  the  idea  of  another  and  colors  it,  as  when  a 
little  black  is  dropped  into  water  and  the  whole  volume  of 
water  is  darkened.  Thus  is  the  spirit  known  from  his  ideas, 
and,  wonderful  to  say,  in  every  idea  of  his  there  is  an  image  or 
likeness  of  himself,  which  when  presented  to  view  is  so  de- 
formed as  to  be  horrible  to  see.  From  this  it  is  evident  what 
is  the  state  of  those  who  profane  holy  things,  and  what  is  their 
appearance  in  the  other  life.  But  it  can  never  be  said  that 
those  profane  holy  things  who  in  simplicity  have  believed  what 
is  said  in  the  Word,  even  if  they  have  believed  what  was  not 
true ;  for  things  are  said  in  the  Word  according  to  appearances, 
as  may  be  seen  above  (n.  589). 

1009.  Verse  6.    Whoso  sheddeth  man's  blood  in  man,  his  blood 
shall  be  shed  ;  for  in  the  image  of  God  made  He  man.     "  Shed- 
deth man's  blood  in  man,"  signifies  extinguishing  charity ;  "  in 
man,"  is  with  man ;  "  his  blood  shall  be  shed,"  signifies  his 
condemnation ;  "  for  in  the  image  of  God  made  He  man,"  sig- 
nifies charity,  which  is  the  "  image  of  God." 

1010.  Whoso  sheddeth  man's  blood  in  man.     That  this  sig- 
nifies extinguishing  charity,  and  that  "  in  man"  is  with  man, 
is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "blood" — concerning  which 
above — as  being  the  holy  of  charity,  and  from  its  being  said 


N.  1010]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  6  511 

"  man's  blood  in  man."  This  means  his  internal  life,  which  is 
not  in  him,  but  with  him ;  for  the  life  of  the  Lord  is  charity, 
which  is  not  in  man,  because  he  is  filthy  and  profane,  but  is 
with  man.  That  "shedding  blood"  is  inflicting  violence  on 
charity,  is  evident  from  passages  in  the  Word,  as  from  those 
adduced  before  (n.  374,  376),  where  it  was  shown  that  violence 
inflicted  upon  charity  is  called  "  blood."  "  Shedding  blood"  is 
in  the  literal  sense  killing,  but  in  the  internal  sense  it  is  bearing 
hatred  against  the  neighbor,  as  the  Lord  teaches  in  Matthew : — 

Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to  them  of  old  time,  Thou  shalt  not 
kill ;  and  whosoever  shall  kill  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment ;  but  I 
say  unto  you,  that  every  one  who  is  angry  with  his  brother  without  cause 
shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment  (v.  21,  22). 

Here  "  being  angry"  signifies  receding  from  charity  (on  which 
see  n.  357),  and  consequently  hatred.  [2]  He  who  is  in  hatred, 
not  only  has  no  charity,  but  also  inflicts  violence  on  charity, 
that  is,  "sheds  blood."  In  hatred  lies  actual  murder,  as  is 
manifest  from  this,  that  he  who  is  in  hatred  desires  nothing  so 
much  as  that  the  one  he  hates  should  be  killed ;  and  if  he  were 
not  withheld  by  outward  restraints,  he  would  kill  him.  For 
this  reason  the  "  killing  of  a  brother  and  the  shedding  of  his 
blood,"  is  hatred ;  and  since  it  is  hatred,  there  is  tin's  in  every 
idea  of  his  against  him.  It  is  the  same  with  profanation. 
He  who  profanes  the  Word,  as  has  been  said,  not  only  holds 
truth  in  hatred,  but  also  extinguishes,  or  kills  it.  This  is  mani- 
fest from  those  in  the  other  life  who  have  committed  profana- 
tion ;  no  matter  how  upright,  wise,  and  devout  they  have  ap- 
peared outwardly  during  their  life  in  the  body,  in  the  other 
life  they  hold  the  Lord  in  deadly  hatred,  and  also  all  the  goods 
of  love  and  truths  of  faith,  for  the  reason  that  these  are  op< 
posed  to  their  inward  hatred,  robbery,  and  adultery,  which  they 
have  veiled  with  a  show  of  holiness,  and  while  adulterating  the 
goods  of  love  and  truths  of  faith  to  favor  themselves.  [3] 
That  "  blood"  means  profanation,  is  evident  not  only  from  the 
passages  adduced  above  (n.  374),  but  also  from  the  following 
in  Moses : — 

What  man  soever  there  be  of  the  house  of  Israel,  that  killeth  an  ox,  or 
lamb,  or  goat,  in  the  camp,  or  that  killeth  it  without  the  camp,  and  hath 
not  brought  it  unto  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  to  offer  it  as  an  ob- 


512  GENESIS  [N.  1010 

lation  unto  Jehovah  before  the  tabernacle  of  Jehovah,  blood  shall  be  im- 
puted unto  that  man,  he  hath  shed  blood ;  and  that  man  shall  be  cut  off 
from  among  his  people  (Lev.  xvii.  3,  4). 

Sacrificing  in  any  other  place  than  on  the  altar,  which  was  near 
the  tabernacle,  represented  profanation ;  for  sacrificing  was  a 
holy  thing,  but  profane  if  in  the  camp  or  without  the  camp. 

1011.  His  blood  shall  be  shed.     That  this  signifies  his  con- 
demnation, is  evident  from  what  has  been  said.     It  is  accord- 
ing to  the  sense  of  the  letter  that  the  shedder  of  blood,  or  the 
slayer,  should  be  punished  with  death.     But  in  the  internal 
sense  the  meaning  is  that  he  who  has  hatred  against  the  neigh- 
bor is  thereby  condemned  to  death,  that  is,  to  hell,  as  the  Lord 
also  teaches  in  Matthew  : — 

Whosoever  shall  say  to  his  brother,  Thou  fool,  shall  be  in  danger  of 
the  hell  of  fire  (v.  22). 

For  when  charity  is  extinguished,  the  man  is  left  to  himself 
and  to  his  Own,  and  is  ruled  by  the  Lord  no  longer  through 
internal  bonds,  which  are  of  conscience,  but  through  external 
bonds,  which  are  of  laws,  such  as  he  himself  makes  for  the 
sake  of  his  own  wealth  and  power.  And  when  these  bonds  are 
relaxed,  as  is  the  case  in  the  other  life,  he  rushes  into  the 
greatest  cruelty  and  obscenity,  thus  into  his  own  condemna- 
tion. That  the  blood  shall  be  shed  of  him  who  sheddeth 
blood  is  a  law  of  retaliation  well  known  to  the  ancients,  ac- 
cording to  which  they  judged  crimes  and  wrongs,  as  is  evident 
from  many  passages  in  the  Word.  This  law  has  its  origin  in 
the  universal  law  that  one  should  not  do  to  another  what  he 
would  not  that  another  should  do  to  him  (Matt.  vii.  12)  ;  as  also 
from  this,  that  it  is  the  order  universal  in  the  other  life  that  evil 
punishes  itself,  and  likewise  falsity  ;  thus  that  in  evil  and  fal- 
sity is  its  own  punishment.  And  because  there  is  such  order 
that  evil  punishes  itself,  or  what  is  the  same,  that  an  evil  man 
rushes  into  punishment  answering  to  his  evil,  the  ancients 
deduced  from  this  their  law  of  retaliation — as  is  here  also  sig- 
nified by  the  declaration  that  whoso  sheddeth  blood,  his  blood 
shall  be  shed,  that  is,  he  will  rush  into  condemnation. 

1012.  The  literal  meaning  of  the  words:  "  whoso  sheddeth 
man's  blood  in  man,  his  blood  shall  be  shed,"  is  one  who  sheds 


N.  1012]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  6  513 

another's  blood ;  but  in  the  internal  sense  it  is  not  another's 
blood,  but  charity  in  one's  self.  For  this  reason  it  is  said 
"  man's  blood  in  man."  Sometimes  when  two  are  spoken  of 
in  the  literal  sense,  only  one  is  meant  in  the  internal  sense. 
The  internal  man  is  man  in  man.  Whoso  therefore  extin- 
guishes charity,  which  is  of  the  internal  man,  or  is  the  inter- 
nal man  himself,  his  blood  shall  be  shed,  that  is,  he  condemns 
himself. 

1013.  For  in  the  image  of  God  made  He  man.  That  this 
signifies  charity,  which  is  the  "  image  of  God,"  follows  as  a 
consequence.  In  the  preceding  verse  charity  was  treated  of, 
which  was  signified  by  "  blood,"  and  that  it  should  not  be  ex- 
tinguished was  signified  by  "  not  shedding  blood."  Here  now 
it  follows  that  He  made  man  into  the  image  of  God ;  from 
which  it  is  evident  that  charity  is  the  image  of  God.  What 
the  image  of  God  is,  hardly  any  one  knows  at  the  present  day. 
They  say  that  the  image  of  God  was  lost  in  the  first  man, 
whom  they  call  Adam,  and  that  it  was  a  certain  perfection  *  of 
the  nature  of  which  they  are  ignorant.  And  indeed  there  was 
perfection,  for  by  "Adam,"  or  "Man,"  is  meant  the  Most 
Ancient  Church,  which  was  a  celestial  man,  and  had  perception, 
such  as  had  no  church  after  it ;  by  reason  of  which  it  was  also 
a  likeness  of  the  Lord.  A  likeness  of  the  Lord  signifies  love 
to  Him.  [2]  After  this  church  perished  in  the  course  of  time, 
the  Lord  created  a  new  church,  which  was  not  a  celestial  but 
a  spiritual  church.  This  was  not  a  likeness,  but  an  image  of 
the  Lord.  An  "  image"  signifies  spiritual  love,  that  is,  love  to 
the  neighbor,  or  charity,  as  has  been  shown  before  (n.  50,  51). 
That  this  church  was,  from  spiritual  love,  or  charity,  an  image 
of  the  Lord,  is  evident  from  this  verse ;  and  that  charity  is 
itself  an  image  of  the  Lord  is  evident  from  its  being  said,  "  for 
in  the  image  of  God  made  He  man,"  that  is  to  say,  charity 
itself  made  him  so.  That  charity  is  the  "  image  of  God"  is 
most  clearly  evident  from  the  very  essence  of  love,  or  charity. 
Nothing  else  than  love  and  charity  can  make  an  image  and 
likeness  of  any  one.  It  is  the  essence  of  love  and  charity  to 
make  of  two  as  it  were  one.  When  one  person  loves  another 
as  himself,  and  more  than  himself,  he  then  sees  the  other  in 

*  See  note  on  page  268. 
VOL.  I.— 33 


514  GENESIS  [N.  1013 

himself,  and  himself  in  the  other.  This  may  be  known  to 
every  one  if  he  only  directs  his  attention  to  love,  or  to  those 
who  love  each  other — the  will  of  the  one  is  the  will  of  the 
other,  they  are  interiorly  as  it  were  joined  together,  and  only 
in  body  distinct  the  one  from  the  other.  [3]  Love  to  the  Lord 
makes  man  one  with  the  Lord,  that  is,  a  likeness  of  Him.  So 
does  charity,  or  love  toward  the  neighbor,  make  him  one  with 
the  Lord,  but  as  an  image.  An  image  is  not  a  likeness,  but  is 
according  to  or  after  a  likeness  (est  ad  similitudinem).  This 
oneness  arising  from  love  the  Lord  describes  in  John : — 

I  pray  that  they  all  may  be  one ;  even  as  Thou  Father  art  in  Me,  and 
I  in  Thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  Us  ;  and  the  glory  which  Thou 
hast  given  unto  Me  I  have  given  unto  them  ;  that  they  may  be  one,  even 
as  We  are  one  ;  I  in  them,  and  Thou  in  Me  (xvii.  21-23). 

This  "being  one"  is  that  mystical  union  which  some  think 
about,  and  which  is  by  love  alone.  Again : — 

I  live,  and  ye  shall  live  ;  in  that  day  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  in  My 
Father,  and  ye  in  Me,  and  I  in  you ;  he  that  hath  My  commandments 
and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  Me  ;  if  a  man  love  Me,  he  will 
keep  My  word  ;  and  My  Father  will  love  him,  and  We  will  come  unto 
him,  and  make  Our  abode  with  him  (xiv.  19-23). 

Hence  it  is  evident  that  it  is  love  which  conjoins,  and  that  the 
Lord  has  His  abode  with  him  who  loves  Him,  and  also  with 
him  who  loves  his  neighbor,  for  this  is  love  of  the  Lord.  [4] 
This  union,  which  makes  a  likeness  and  image,  cannot  be  so 
well  seen  among  men,  but  is  seen  in  heaven,  where  from  mu- 
tual love  all  the  angels  are  as  a  one.  Each  society,  which  con- 
sists of  many,  constitutes  as  it  were  one  man.  And  all  the 
societies  together — or  the  universal  heaven — constitute  one 
man,  which  is  also  called  the  Grand  Man  (see  n.  457,  549). 
The  universal  heaven  is  a  likeness  of  the  Lord,  for  the  Lord  is 
the  all  in  all  who  are  therein.  So  also  is  each  society  a  like- 
ness, and  so  is  each  angel.  The  celestial  angels  are  likenesses, 
the  spiritual  angels  are  images.  Thus  heaven  consists  of  as 
many  likenesses  of  the  Lord  as  there  are  angels,  and  this  solely 
through  mutual  love — one  loving  another  more  than  himself 
(see  n.  548,  549).  For  in  order  that  the  general  or  universal 
heaven  may  be  a  likeness,  the  parts,  or  individual  angels,  must 
be  likenesses,  or  images  that  are  according  to  likenesses.  Un- 


N.  1013]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  6  515 

less  the  general  consists  of  parts  like  itself,  it  is  not  a  general 
that  makes  a  one.  From  these  things  it  may  be  seen  as  from 
an  archetype,  or  pattern,*  what  makes  a  likeness  and  image  of 
God,  namely,  love  to  the  Lord  and  love  toward  the  neighbor ; 
consequently,  that  every  regenerate  spiritual  man,  from  love 
or  charity,  which  is  from  the  Lord  alone,  is  His  image.  And 
he  who  is  in  charity  from  the  Lord,  is  in  "  perfection ;"  of 
which  perfection,  by  the  Divine  mercy  of  the  Lord  hereafter. 

1014.  Verse  7.  And  you,  be  ye  fruitful  and  multiply  ;  briny 
forth  abundantly  in  the  earth,  and  be  ye  multiplied  therein. 
"  Be   ye  fruitful  and  multiply,"  signifies  here,  as  before,  in- 
crease of  good  and  truth  in  the  interior  man ;  "  to  be  fruitful" 
being  predicated  of  goods,  and  "  to  be  multiplied"  of  truths ; 
"  bring  forth  abundantly  in  the  earth,  and  be  ye  multiplied 
therein,"  signifies  increase  of  good  and  truth  in  the  external 
man,  which  is  the  "  earth ;"  "  to  bring  forth  abundantly"  is 
predicated  of  goods,  and  "  to  be  multiplied"  of  truths. 

1015.  Be  ye  fruitful  and  multiply.     That  this  signifies  in- 
crease of  good  and  truth  in  the  interior  man,  and  that  "  to  be 
fruitful"  is  predicated  of  goods,  and  "to  multiply"  of  truths, 
is  evident  from  what  has  been  shown  before  at  the  first  verse 
of  this  chapter,  where  the  same  words  occur.    That  the  increase 
is  in  the  interior  man,  is  evident  from  what  follows,  where  it  is 
said  again  "  be  ye  multiplied,"  which  repetition  would  be  need- 
less, because  superfluous,  if  it  did  not  signify  something  special, 
distinct  from  what  goes  before.     From  this  and  from  what  was 
said  above  it  is  evident  that  being  fruitful  and  multiplying  are 
here  predicated  of  goods  and  truths  in  the  interior  man.     It  is 
said  the  interior  man  because,  as  was  shown  above,  in  respect 
to  what  is  celestial  and  spiritual,  which  is  of  the  Lord  alone, 
man  is  an  internal  man ;  but  as  to  what  is  rational  he  is  an  in- 
terior or  middle  man,  intermediate  between  the  internal  man 
and  the  external ;  and  in  respect  to  the  affections  of  good  and 
knowledges  of  the  memory  he  is  an  external  man.     That  such 
is  the  nature  of  man  has  been  shown  in  what  is  premised  to 
this  chapter  (n.  978) ;  but  his  not  knowing  it  while  he  lives  in 
the  body  is  because  he  is  in  the  things  of  the  body,  and  hence 

*  Latin  idea,  which  is  evidently  used  here  in  its  Platonic  sense.    See  the  Republic, 
Book  X,     ("REVISER.] 


516  GENESIS  [N.  1015 

does  not  even  know  that  there  are  interior  things,  still  less  that 
they  are  set  in  this  distinct  and  separate  order.  Yet  on  reflect- 
ing the  fact  will  be  quite  evident  to  him,  when  he  is  in  thought 
withdrawn  from  the  body  and  is  thinking  as  it  were  in  his  spirit. 
The  reason  f  ruitf  ulness  and  multiplication  are  predicated  of  the 
interior  or  rational  man  is  that  the  working  of  the  internal  man 
is  not  perceived,  except  in  the  interior  man  in  a  very  general 
manner.  For  in  the  interior  man  an  innumerable  host  of  par- 
ticulars are  presented  to  view  as  one  general  thing;  most  ex- 
tremely general  in  fact.  How  innumerable  the  particulars  are, 
what  is  their  nature,  and  how  they  present  an  obscure  general 
whole,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  shown  above  (n.  545). 

1016.  Bring  forth  abundantly  in  the  earth,  and  be  ye  multi- 
plied therein.  That  this  signifies  increase  of  good  and  truth  in 
the  external  man,  which  is  the  earth ;  and  that  "  to  bring  forth 
abundantly"  is  predicated  of  goods,  and  "  to  be  multiplied,"  of 
truths,  is  evident  from  what  has  now  been  said,  and  also  from 
the  signification  of  "  earth,"  as  being  the  external  man,  concern- 
ing which  significations  see  what  was  said  and  shown  at  the 
first  verse  of  this  chapter  (n.  983).  As  to  its  being  said,  "  Bring 
forth  abundantly  in  the  earth,  and  be  ye  multiplied  therein," 
the  case  is  this  :  nothing  is  multiplied  with  the  regenerate  man 
in  his  external  man,  that  is,  nothing  of  good  and  truth  receives 
increase,  except  as  the  effect  of  charity.  Charity  is  like  heat 
in  the  time  of  spring  or  summer,  which  causes  grass  and  plants 
and  trees  to  grow.  Without  charity,  or  spiritual  heat,  nothing 
grows,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  here  said  in  the  first  place, 
"  Bring  forth  abundantly  in  the  earth,"  which  is  predicated  of 
the  goods  that  are  of  charity,  by  means  of  which  there  is  multi- 
plication of  good  and  truth.  Any  one  may  understand  how  this 
is  ;  for  nothing  is  increased  and  multiplied  in  man  unless  there 
be  some  affection,  for  it  is  the  delight  of  the  affection  that  causes 
it  not  only  to  take  root,  but  also  to  increase,  and  everything  de- 
pends upon  the  influence  of  the  affection.  What  a  man  loves 
he  freely  learns,  retains,  and  cherishes — thus  all  things  that 
favor  any  affection.  Those  which  do  not  favor,  the  man  cares 
nothing  for,  regards  as  nothing,  and  even  rejects.  But  such  as 
the  affection  is,  such  is  the  multiplication.  With  the  regenerate 
man  the  affection  is  that  of  good  and  truth  from  the  charity 


N.  1016]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  7  517 

that  is  given  by  the  Lord.  Whatever  therefore  favors  the 
affection  of  charity  he  learns,  retains,  and  cherishes,  and  thus 
confirms  himself  in  goods  and  truths.  This  is  signified  by, 
"  Bring  forth  abundantly  in  the  earth  and  be  ye  multiplied 
therein." 

1017.  To  show  that  the  multiplication  is  such  as  is  the  affec- 
tion, take  for  example  a  man  who  accepts  the  principle  that  faith 
alone  saves  even  if  he  does  no  work  of  charity,  that  is,  even  if 
he  has  no  charity,  and  who  thus  separates  faith  from  charity — 
not  only  on  account  of  this  principle  received  from  childhood, 
but  also  because  he  supposes  that  if  one  should  call  the  works 
of  charity,  or  charity  itself,  an  essential  part  of  faith,  and 
should  on  this  account  live  aright,  he  could  not  but  place 
merit  in  works,  though  this  is  a  false  supposition.  Thus  he 
rejects  charity  and  makes  the  works  of  charity  of  no  account, 
abiding  only  in  the  idea  of  faith,  which  is  no  faith  without  its 
essential,  namely,  charity.  In  confirming  this  principle  in  him- 
self, he  does  it  not  at  all  from  the  affection  of  good,  but  from 
the  affection  of  pleasure,  that  he  may  live  in  the  indulgence  of 
his  cupidities.  And  any  one  belonging  to  this  class  of  people 
who  confirms  faith  alone  by  many  things,  does  so  not  from  any 
affection  of  truth,  but  for  his  own  glory,  that  he  may  seem 
greater,  more  learned,  and  more  exalted  than  others,  and  may 
thus  take  a  high  place  among  those  in  wealth  and  honor ;  thus 
he  does  it  from  the  delight  of  the  affection,  and  this  delight 
causes  the  multiplication  of  the  confirmatory  things ;  for,  as 
has  been  said,  such  as  the  affection  is,  such  is  the  multiplica- 
tion. In  general,  when  the  principle  is  false,  nothing  but  fal- 
sities can  follow  from  it ;  for  all  things  conform  themselves  to 
the  first  principle.  Indeed — as  I  know  from  experience,  of 
which  by  the  Divine  mercy  of  the  Lord  hereafter — those  who 
confirm  themselves  in  such  principles  about  faith  alone,  and 
are  in  no  charity,  care  nothing  for,  and  are  as  if  they  did  not 
see,  all  that  the  Lord  said  so  many  times  about  love  and  charity 
(see  Matt.  iii.  8,  9 ;  v.  7,  43-48 ;  vi.  12,  15 ;  vii.  1-20 ;  ix.  13 ; 
xii.  33 ;  xiii.  8,  23 ;  xviii.  21-23  and  to  the  end ;  xix.  19 ;  xxii. 
34-39 ;  xxiv.  12,  13 ;  xxi.  34,  40,  41,  43 ;  Mark  iv.  18-20 ;  xi. 
13,  14,  20 ;  xii.  28-35 ;  Luke  iii.  8,  9 ;  vi.  27-39.  43  to  the  end ; 
vii.  47;  viii.  8,  14,  15;  x.  25-28;  xii.  58,  59;  xiii.  6-10; 


518  GENESIS  [N.  1017 

John  iii.  19,  21 ;  v.  42 ;  xiii.  34,  35 ;  xiv.  14,  15,  20,  21,  23 ; 
xv.  1-19 ;  xxi.  15-17). 

1018.  The  reason  why  it  is  here  said  again, "  Be  ye  fruitful, 
and  multiply,"  as  in  the  first  verse  of  the  chapter,  is  that  here 
is  the  conclusion,  and  that  all  things  will  go  well,  and  will  be 
fruitful  and  multiply,  if  men  shun  what  is  signified  by  eating 
blood  and  by  shedding  blood,  that  is,  if  they  do  not  extinguish 
charity  by  hatreds  and  profanations. 

1019.  Verse  8.  And  God  said  unto  Noah,  and  to  his  sons 
with  him,  saying.     "  God  said  unto  Noah,  and  to  his  sons  with 
him,  saying,"  signifies  the  truth  of  the  things  that  follow  in 
regard  to  the  spiritual  church,  which  is  meant  by  "  Noah  and 
his  sons  with  him." 

1020.  That  these  things  are  signified  is  evident  from  the 
fact  that  all  things  put  historically,  from  the  first  chapter 
of  Genesis  to  Eber  in  the  eleventh  chapter,  signify  things  quite 
different  from  those  which  appear  in  the  letter,  and  the  his- 
torical series  is  only  made-up  history,  after  the  manner  of  the 
most  ancient  people,  who  when  they  would  attest  the  truth  of 
a  thing,  declared  that  "  Jehovah  said"  it.     Here  however  it  is 
said  that  "God"  said,  because  the  subject  treated  of  is  the 
spiritual  church.    They  used  the  same  form  of  speaking  when 
anything  true  was  coming  to  pass,  or  had  done  so. 

1021.  That  by  "Noah  and  his  sons  with  him"  is  signified 
the  Ancient  Church,  has  been  shown  before,  and  will  be  evi- 
dent in  what  follows  in  this  chapter,  so  that  there  is  no  need 
to  confirm  it  now. 

1022.  Verses  9,  10.  And  I,  behold,  I  establish  My  covenant 
with  you,  and  with  your  seed  after  you  ;  and  with  every  living 
soul  that  is  ^vith  you,  the  fowl,  the  beast,  and  every  wild  animal 
of  the  earth  with  you  ;  of  all  that  go  out  of  the  ark,  even  ei'ery 
wild  animal  of  the  earth.     "  And  I,  behold,  I  establish  My 
covenant,"  signifies  the  presence  of  the  Lord  in  charity  ;  "  with 
you,"  signifies  the  regenerate  spiritual  man ;  "  and  with  your 
seed  after  you,"  signifies  those  who  are  being  created  anew ; 
"and  with  every  living  soul  that  is  with  you,"  signifies  in 
general  all  things  in  man  that  have  been  regenerated ;  "  the 
fowl,"  signifies  specifically  the  things  of  his  \mderstandirig ; 
"  the  beast,"  the  things  of  his  new  will ;  "  and  every  wild  animal 


N.  1022]  CHAPTER   IX.  VERS.  9,  10  619 

of  the  earth,"  signifies  the  lower  things  of  his  understanding 
and  those  of  his  will  therefrom ;  "  with  you,"  signifies  here  as 
before  what  is  in  the  regenerate  spiritual  man ;  "  of  all  that  go 
out  of  the  ark,"  signifies  the  men  of  the  church ;  "  even  every 
wild  animal  of  the  earth,"  signifies  the  men  outside  of  the 
church. 

1023.  And  I,  behold,  I  establish  My  covenant.     That  this 
signifies  the  presence  of  the  Lord  in  charity,  is  evident  from 
the   signification    of   "  covenant,"  as  shown  above  (n.  666), 
where  it  was  shown  that  a  "  covenant"  signifies  regeneration, 
and  indeed  the  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  the  regenerate 
man  by  love ;  and  that  the  heavenly  marriage  is  that  veriest 
covenant  itself,  and  consequently  so  is  the  heavenly  marriage 
with  every  regenerate  man.     This  marriage  or  covenant  has 
been  treated  of  before.     With  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient 
Church  the  heavenly  marriage  was  in  the  Own  of  his  will  part, 
but  with  the  man  of  the  Ancient  Church  the  heavenly  mar- 
riage was  effected  in  the  Own  of  his  intellectual  part.     For 
when  man's  will  part  had  become  wholly  corrupt,  the  Lord 
miraculously  separated  the  Own  of  his  intellectual  part  from 
that  corrupt  Own  of  his  will  part,  and  in  the  Own  of  his  intel- 
lectual part  He  formed  a  new  will,  which  is  conscience,  and 
into  the  conscience  insinuated  charity,  and  into  the  charity 
innocence,  and  thus  conjoined  Himself  with  man,  or  what  is  the 
same  made  a  covenant  with  him.    So  far  as  the  Own  of  man's 
will  part  can  be  separated  from  this  Own  of  the  intellectual 
part,  the  Lord  can  be  present  with  him,  or  conjoin  Himself,  or 
enter  into  a  covenant  with  him.     Temptations  and  the  like 
means  of  regeneration  cause  the  Own  of  man's  will  part  to  be 
quiescent,  to  become  as  nothing,  and  as  it  were  to  die.    So  far 
as  this  is  done  the  Lord  through  conscience  implanted  in  the 
Own  of  man's  intellectual  part  can  work  in  charity.   And  this 
is  what  is  here  called  a  "  covenant." 

1024.  With  you.  That  this  signifies  the  regenerate  spiritual 
man,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  before,  namely,  that 
Koah  and  his  sons  signify  the  spiritual  church  which  succeeded 
the  Most  Ancient  celestial  church ;  and  since  the  church  is 
signified,  so  also  is  each  man  of  the  church,  thus  the  regen- 
erate spiritual  man. 


520  GENESIS  [N.  1026 

1025.  And  with  your  seed  after  you.  That  this  signifies 
those  who  are  being  created  anew,  is  evident  from  the  signifi- 
cation of  "  seed,"  and  also  from  what  follows.  From  the  signi- 
fication of  "  seed,"  inasmuch  as  "  seed"  signifies  in  the  literal 
sense  posterity,  but  in  the  internal  sense  faith ;  and  since,  as 
has  been  often  said,  there  is  no  faith  except  where  there  is 
charity,  it  is  charity  itself  which  is  meant  in  the  internal 
sense  by  "  seed."  From  what  follows  it  is  evident  that  not 
only  the  man  who  is  within  the  church  is  meant,  but  also  the 
man  who  is  without  the  church,  thus  the  whole  human  race. 
Wherever  there  is  charity,  even  among  nations  most  remote 
from  the  church,  there  is  "  seed,"  for  heavenly  seed  is  charity. 
No  man  can  do  anything  of  good  from  himself,  but  all  good  is 
from  the  Lord.  The  good  which  the  Gentiles  do  is  also  from 
the  Lord,  of  whom,  by  the  Divine  mercy  of  the  Lord,  here- 
after. That  the  "  seed  of  God"  is  faith,  has  been  shown  be- 
fore (n.  255).  By  faith  there,  and  elsewhere,  is  meant  the 
charity  from  which  is  faith ;  for  there  is  no  other  faith  that  is 
faith,  than  the  faith  of  charity.  [2]  It  is  the  same  also  in 
other  places  in  the  AVord  where  "  seed"  is  named,  as  the  "  seed 
of  Abraham,  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob,"  by  which  is  signified 
love  or  charity.  For  Abraham  represented  the  celestial  love, 
and  Isaac  the  spiritual  love,  which  are  of  the  internal  man. 
Jacob  represented  the  same,  but  that  of  the  external  man.  It 
is  so  not  only  in  the  prophetic,  but  also  in  the  historic  parts 
of  the  Word.  The  history  in  the  Word  is  not  perceived  in 
heaven,  but  what  is  signified  by  it.  The  Word  was  written 
not  only  for  man,  but  also  for  angels.  When  man  reads  the 
Word  and  takes  from  it  nothing  but  the  literal  sense,  angels 
then  take  not  the  literal,  but  the  internal  sense.  The  material, 
worldly,  and  corporeal  ideas  which  man  has  when  he  reads  the 
WTord,  become  with  angels  spiritual  and  heavenly  ideas — as 
when  man  reads  about  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  the  angels 
do  not  think  at  all  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  but  of  what 
is  represented  and  thus  signified  by  them.  [3]  So  with  Noah, 
Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth,  the  angels  do  not  know  of  these  per- 
sons, nor  perceive  anything  else  than  the  Ancient  Church ;  and 
the  interior  angels  do  not  even  perceive  the  church,  but  the 
faith  of  that  church,  and  according  to  the  connection  the  state 


N.  1025]  CHAPTER   IX.  VERS.  9,  10  521 

of  the  things  treated  of.  Thus  when  "  seed"  is  mentioned  in 
the  Word  (as  here  the  seed  of  Noah,  that  a  covenant  was  made 
with  them  and  with  their  seed  after  them),  angels  do  not  per- 
ceive such  a  posterity ;  for  there  was  no  Noah,  but  the  Ancient 
Church  was  so  called ;  and  by  "  seed"  angels  understand  charity, 
which  was  tne  essential  of  the  faith  of  that  church.  And  again 
when  in  the  history  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  their  "  seed" 
is  spoken  of,  angels  never  understand  the  posterity  of  these 
men,  but  all  in  the  universe,  both  in  the  church  and  out  of  it, 
in  whom  there  is  heavenly  seed,  or  charity ;  and  the  interior- 
angels  perceive  love  itself — abstractedly — which  is  heavenly 
seed.  [4]  That  by  "  seed"  is  signified  love,  and  also  every  one 
in  whom  there  is  love,  is  evident  from  the  following  passages 
in  Genesis : — 

And  Jehovah  appeared  unto  Abram,  and  said,  Unto  thy  seed  will  I 
give  this  land  (xii.  7) ; 

and  again  : — 

All  the  land  which  thou  seest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed 
forever  ;  and  I  will  make  thy  seed  as  the  dust  of  the  earth  (xiii.  15,  16). 

Those  who  are  in  the  sense  of  the  letter  do  not  apprehend  any- 
thing else  than  that  by  "  seed"  is  meant  the  posterity  of  Abram, 
and  by  this  "  land,"  the  land  of  Canaan,  especially  as  this  land 
was  given  to  his  posterity.  But  those  who  are  in  the  internal 
sense,  as  is  the  whole  heaven,  by  the  "  seed  of  Abram"  perceive 
nothing  else  than  love ;  by  the  "  land  of  Canaan"  nothing  else 
than  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord  in  the  heavens  and  on  the  earth  ,- 
and  in  the  land's  being  given  them  they  perceive  nothing  but 
its  representation,  of  which,  by  the  Divine  mercy  of  the  Lord, 
elsewhere.  And  again  it  is  said  of  Abram : — 

Jehovah  led  him  forth  abroad,  and  said,  Look  up  now  toward  heaven, 
and  number  the  stars,  if  thou  be  able  to  number  them  ;  and  He  said  unto 
him,  So  shall  thy  seed  be  (Gen.  xv.  15). 

Here  likewise  Abram  is  named  because  he  represented  love,  or 
saving  faith  ;  and  by  his  "  seed"  no  other  posterity  is  meant,  in 
the  internal  sense,  than  all  in  the  universe  who  have  love. 
[5]  Again : — 

And  I  will  establish  My  covenant  between  Me  and  thee  and  thy  seed 
after  thee,  and  I  will  give  unto  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee,  the  land 


522  GENESIS  [N.  1025 

of  thy  sojournings,  all  the  land  of  Canaan,  for  an  everlasting  possession  ; 
and  I  will  be  to  them  for  God ;  this  is  My  covenant,  which  thou  shalt 
keep,  between  Me  and  you  and  thy  seed  after  thee,  that  every  male  be 
circumcised  unto  you  (Gen.  xvii.  7,  8,  10). 

Here  "establishing  His  covenant"  likewise  signifies  the  con- 
junction of  the  Lord  with  men  throughout  the  universe  by 
love,  which  love  was  represented  by  Abram.  From  this  it  is 
evident  what  is  signified  by  his  "  seed,"  namely,  all  in  the  uni- 
verse who  have  love.  The  covenant  here  treated  of  was  cir 
cumcision,  by  which  is  never  understood  in  heaven  circumcision 
of  the  flesh,  but  circumcision  of  the  heart,  which  those  have 
who  have  love.  Circumcision  was  a  representative  of  regener- 
ation by  love,  as  is  clearly  explained  in  Moses : — 

And  Jehovah  thy  God  will  circumcise  thine  heart,  and  the  heart  of 
thy  seed,  to  love  Jehovah  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy 
soul,  that  thou  mayest  live  (Deut.  xxx.  6), 

from  which  it  is  evident  what  circumcision  is  in  the  internal 
sense  ;  and  therefore  wherever  circumcision  is  mentioned,  noth- 
ing else  is  meant  than  love  and  charity,  and  the  life  therefrom. 
[6]  That  by  the  "  seed  of  Abraham"  all  in  the  universe  who 
have  love  are  signified,  is  evident  also  from  the  words  of  the 
Lord  to  Abraham  and  to  Isaac.  To  Abraham,  after  he  was 
willing  to  sacrifice  Isaac  as  commanded,  the  Lord  said : — 

In  blessing  I  will  bless  thee,  and  in  multiplying  I  will  multiply  thy  seed 
as  the  stars  of  the  heavens,  and  as  the  sand  which  is  upon  the  sea  shore  ; 
and  thy  seed  shall  inherit  the  gate  of  thine  enemies  ;  and  in  thy  seed 
shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed  (Gen.  xxii.  17,  18), 

where  it  is  plainly  evident  that  by  "  seed"  are  meant  all  in  the 
universe  who  have  love.  [7]  As  Abraham  represented  celes- 
tial love,  as  already  said,  so  Isaac  represented  spiritual  love ; 
and  therefore  by  the  "  seed  of  Isaac"  nothing  else  is  signified 
than  every  man  in  whom  there  is  spiritual  love,  or  charity.  Of 
him  it  is  said  : — 

Sojourn  in  this  land,  and  I  will  be  with  thee,  and  will  bless  thee  ;  for 
unto  thee,  and  unto  thy  seed,  I  will  give  all  these  lands,  and  I  will  estab- 
lish the  oath  which  I  sware  unto  Abraham  thy  father  ;  and  I  will  multiply 
thy  seed  as  the  stars  of  the  heavens,  and  will  give  unto  thy  seed  all  these 
lands-  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed  (Gen. 
xxvi.  3,  4,  24), 


N.  1025]  CHAPTER   IX.  VERS.  9,  10  523 

where  it  is  manifest  that  all  nations  are  meant  who  are  in 
charity.  Celestial  love  was  represented  by  Abraham  as  the 
father  of  the  spiritual  love  that  was  represented  by  Isaac; 
for  the  spiritual  is  born  of  the  celestial,  as  shown  above.  [8] 
As  Jacob  represented  the  externals  of  the  church,  which  come 
forth  from  the  internals,  and  thus  all  things  springing  in  the 
external  man  from  love  and  charity,  by  his  "  seed"  are  signi- 
fied all  in  the  universe  who  have  external  worship  in  which  is 
internal,  and  who  do  works  of  charity  in  which  there  is  charity 
from  the  Lord.  Of  this  "  seed"  it  was  said  to  Jacob  after  he 
had  seen  the  ladder  in  his  dream  : — 

I  am  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Abraham  thy  father,  and  the  God  of  Isaac  ; 
the  land  whereon  thou  liest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed ;  and 
thy  seed  shall  be  as  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  in  thee  and  in  thy  seed 
shall  all  the  families  of  the  ground  be  blessed  ( Gen.  xxviii.  13,  14  ;  xxxii. 
12  ;  xlviii.  4). 

[9]  That  such  is  the  signification  of  "  seed"  is  evident  from 
the  passages  of  the  Word  cited  above  (n.  255)  ;  and  also  from 
the  following.  In  Isaiah  : — 

But  thou,  Israel,  My  servant,  Jacob  whom  I  have  chosen,  the  seed  of 
Abraham,  My  friend  (xli.  8), 

where  the  subject  is  the  regeneration  of  man;  and,  as  is  often 
the  case,  a  distinction  is  made  between  Israel  and  Jacob,  and 
by  "Israel"  is  signified  the  internal  spiritual  church,  by 
"  Jacob"  the  externals  of  the  same  church,  and  both  are  called 
the  "  seed  of  Abraham,"  that  is,  of  the  celestial  church,  because 
the  celestial,  spiritual,  and  natural  follow  one  another  in  suc- 
cession. In  Jeremiah : — 

I  had  planted  thee  a  wholly  noble  vine,  a  seed  of  truth  ;  how  then  art 
thou  turned  into  the  degenerate  ones  of  a  strange  vine  unto  Me  ?  (ii.  21). 

This  is  said  of  the  spiritual  church,  which  is  a  "  noble  vine," 
whose  charity,  or  faith  of  charity,  is  called  a  "  seed  of  truth." 
[10]  Again:— 

As  the  army  of  the  heavens  cannot  be  numbered,  neither  the  sand  of 
the  sea  measured,  so  will  I  multiply  the  seed  of  David  My  servant,  and 
the  Levites  that  minister  unto  Me  (xxxiii.  22), 

where  "  seed"  plainly  denotes  heavenly  seed,  for  by  David  is 
signified  the  Lord.  That  the  seed  of  David  was  not  as  the 


524  GENESIS  [N.  1025 

army  of  the  heavens  that  cannot  be  numbered,  neither  as  the 
sand  of  the  sea  that  cannot  be  measured,  is  known  to  every 
one.  Again  : — 

Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  Jehovah,  that  I  will  raise  unto  David  a 
righteous  offshoot,  and  He  shall  reign  as  king  and  shall  act  intelligently, 
and  shall  do  judgment  and  righteousness  in  the  land  ;  in  His  days  Judah 
shall  be  saved,  and  Israel  shall  dwell  confidently  ;  and  this  is  His  name 
whereby  He  shall  be  called,  Jehovah  our  righteousness  ;  therefore  behold 
the  days  come,  saith  Jehovah,  that  they  shall  no  more  say,  As  Jehovah 
liveth,  who  brought  up  the  sons  of  Israel  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt ;  but, 
As  Jehovah  liveth,  who  brought  up  and  who  led  the  seed  of  the  house  of 
Israel  out  of  the  north  country  (xxiii.  5-8). 

Here  things  very  different  from  those  appearing  in  the  letter 
are  signified.  David  is  not  meant  by  "  David,"  nor  Judah  by 
"  Judah,"  nor  Israel  by  "  Israel ;"  but  by  "  David"  is  signified 
the  Lord,  by  "  Judah"  what  is  celestial,  by  "  Israel"  what  is 
spiritual ;  and  therefore  by  "  the  seed  of  Israel"  those  who 
have  charity,  or  the  faith  of  charity.  [11]  In  David : — 

Ye  that  fear  Jehovah,  praise  Him  ;  all  ye  the  seed  of  Jacob,  glorify 
Him  ;  and  stand  in  awe  of  Him,  all  ye  the  seed  of  Israel  (Ps.  xxii.  23), 

where  by  "  the  seed  of  Israel"  no  other  seed  is  meant  than  the 
spiritual  church.  In  Isaiah  : — 

A  seed  of  holiness  is  the  stock  thereof  (vi.  12), 

meaning  remains  which  are  holy,  because  they  are  the  Lord's. 
Again : — 

I  will  bring  forth  a  seed  out  of  Jacob,  and  out  of  Judah  a  possessor  of 
My  mountains ;  and  Mine  elect  shall  possess  it,  and  My  servants  shall 
dwell  there  (Ixv.  9), 

where  the  celestial  church,  external  and  internal,  is  treated  of. 
Again : — 

They  shall  not  generate  for  trouble ;  for  they  are  the  seed  of  the 
blessed  of  Jehovah,  and  their  offspring  with  them  (Ixv.  23), 

where  the  subject  is  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  or  the 
kingdom  of  the  Lord.  Those  who  are  therein,  being  "gen- 
erated" from  love,  or  regenerated,  are  called  the  "  seed  of  the 
blessed  of  Jehovah." 

1026.  And  with  every  living  soul  that  is  with  you.  That 
this  signifies  in  general  all  things  in  man  that  are  regenerated, 


N.  1026]  CHAPTER   IX.  VERS.  9,  10  525 

is  evident  from  what  precedes  and  from  what  follows,  and 
also  from  the  signification  of  "  living."  Everything  is  called 
"  living"  that  has  received  life  from  the  Lord,  and  everything 
a  "living  soul"  that  lives  therefrom  in  the  regenerate  man. 
For  according  to  the  life  which  the  regenerate  man  receives, 
everything  in  him  is  living,  as  well  the  things  of  his  reason 
as  his  affections  ;  and  this  life  is  apparent  in  everything  of 
his  thought  and  speech  in  the  sight  of  angels,  but  not  in  that 
of  man. 

1027.  The  fowl.     That  this  signifies  specifically  the  things 
of  his  understanding,  il  evident  from  what  has  been  said  and 
shown  before  about  fowls  (n.  40,  776). 

1028.  The  beast.     That  this  signifies  specifically  the  things 
of  his  new  will,  is  evident  also  from  what  has  been  said  and 
shown  before  concerning  beasts  and  their  signification  (n.  45, 
46,  142,  143,  246,  776). 

1029.  And  every  wild  animal  of  the  earth.     That  this  sig- 
nifies the  lower  things  of  his  understanding  and  those  of  his 
will  therefrom,  is  evident  also  from  what  has  been  said  and 
shown  before  as  to  the  signification  of  a  "  wild  animal."    For 
with  every  man  there  are  things  interior  and  things  exterior. 
The  interior  are  things  of  reason,  here  signified  by  "  the  fowl," 
and  also  affections,  signified  by  the  "  beast."    The  exterior  are 
things  of  knowledge  (scientifica)  and  pleasures,  which  are  here 
signified  by  the  "  wild  animal  of  the  earth."     That  by  "  fowl, 
beast,  and  wild  animal,"  is  not  signified  any  fowl,  beast,  or 
wild  animal,  but  what  is  living  in  the  regenerate  man,  any 
one  may  know  and  conclude  from  this,  that  a  covenant  cannot 
be  made  by  God  with  brute  animals  (yet  it  is  said,  "  I  estab- 
lish My  covenant  with  every  living  soul  that  is  with  you,  the 
fowl,  the  beast,  and  the  wild  animal  of  the  earth  with  you"), 
but  with  man,  who  is  described  by  them  in  this  way  as  to  his 
interiors  and  exteriors. 

1030.  Of  all  that  go  out  of  the  ark.    That  this  signifies  the 
men  of  the  church,  and  that  "  even  every  wild  animal  of  the 
earth"  signifies  the  man  who  is  outside  the  church,  is  evident 
from  the  series  of  things  in  the  internal  sense ;  for  all  that 
went  forth  from  the  ark  have  been  named  before — as  every 
living  soul,  the  fowl,  the  beast,  and  the  wild  animal  of  the 


526  GENESIS  [N.  1030 

earth — and  here  it  is  said  again,  "  of  all  that  go  out  of  the 
ark,  even  every  wild  animal  of  the  earth."  Thus  the  "  wild 
animal  of  the  earth"  is  named  a  second  time,  and  there  would 
not  be  this  repetition  unless  something  else  were  here  meant. 
And  there  also  follows :  "  I  will  establish  My  covenant  with 
you,"  as  was  said  before.  From  this  it  is  evident  that  by 
"those  going  out  of  the  ark"  are  signified  the  regenerate,  or 
the  men  of  the  church,  and  by  the  "  wild  animal  of  the  earth" 
are  signified  all  in  the  universe  who  are  outside  the  church. 
[2]  The  "  wild  animal  of  the  earth,"  in  the  Word,  when  living 
things  are  not  meant  by  it,  signifies  thofe  things  which  are  more 
vile  and  partake  more  or  less  of  the  ferine  nature,  and  this  in 
accordance  with  the  subject  of  which  it  is  predicated.  When 
it  is  predicated  of  what  is  in  man,  then  the  "  wild  animal  of 
the  earth"  signifies  lower  things  which  are  of  the  external 
man  and  of  the  body,  as  presently  in  this  same  verse,  and  thus 
what  is  more  vile.  When  it  is  predicated  of  an  entire  society, 
which  is  called  a  composite  man  or  person,  then  the  "  wild 
animal  of  the  earth"  signifies  those  who  are  not  of  the  church, 
because  they  are  more  vile ;  and  so  in  other  cases  according 
to  the  subject  of  which  it  is  predicated.  As  in  Hosea : — 

In  that  day  will  I  make  a  covenant  for  them  with  the  wild  animal  of 
the  field,  and  with  the  fowl  of  the  heavens,  and  with  the  creeping  thing 
of  the  earth  (ii.  18). 

In  Isaiah : — 

The  wild  animal  of  the  field  shall  honor  Me,  because  I  give  waters  in 
the  wilderness  (xliii.  20). 

In  Ezekiel : — 

All  the  birds  of  the  heavens  made  their  nests  in  his  boughs,  and  under 
his  branches  all  the  wild  animals  of  the  field  brought  forth,  and  under 
his  shadow  dwelt  all  great  nations  (xxxi.  6). 

1031.  Verse  11.  And  I  will  establish  My  covenant  with  you; 
neither  shall  all  flesh  be  cut  off  any  more  by  the  waters  of  the 
flood  ;  neither  shall  there  any  more  be  a  flood  to  destroy  the 
earth.  "  And  I  will  establish  My  covenant  with  you,"  signi- 
fies the  presence  of  the  Lord  with  all  who  have  charity,  and 
refers  to  those  who  go  forth  from  the  ark  and  to  every  wild 
animal  of  the  earth,  that  is,  to  men  within  the  church  and  men 


N.  1081]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  11  527 

without  the  church;  "neither  shall  all  flesh  be  cut  off  any 
more  by  the  waters  of  the  flood,"  signifies  that  they  shall  not 
perish  like  the  last  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church; 
"  neither  shall  there  any  more  be  a  flood  to  destroy  the  earth," 
signifies  that  there  shall  not  come  forth  any  such  deadly  and 
suffocating  persuasion. 

1032.  And  I  will  establish  my  covenant  with  you.  That  this 
signifies  the  presence  of  the  Lord  with  all  who  have  charity, 
and  refers  to  those  who  go  forth  from  the  ark  and  to  every 
wild  animal  of  the  earth,  that  is,  to  men  within  the  church 
and  men  without,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  just 
above.  That  the  Lord  enters  into  a  covenant,  or  conjoins  Him- 
self by  charity,  with  Gentiles  also  who  are  outside  the  church, 
shall  now  be  shown.  The  man  of  the  church  supposes  that  all 
who  are  out  of  the  church,  and  are  called  Gentiles,  cannot  be 
saved,  because  they  have  no  knowledges  of  faith,  and  are  there- 
fore wholly  ignorant  of  the  Lord,  saying  that  without  faith  and 
without  knowledge  of  the  Lord  there  is  no  salvation,  and  thus 
he  condemns  all'who  are  out  of  the  church.  Indeed  many  of 
this  sort  who  are  in  some  doctrine,  even  if  it  be  heresy,  sup- 
pose that  all  outside  this,  that  is,  all  who  do  not  hold  the  same 
opinion,  cannot  be  saved ;  when  in  fact  the  case  is  not  so  at 
all.  The  Lord  has  mercy  toward  the  whole  human  race,  and 
wills  to  save  and  draw  to  Himself  all  who  are  in  the  universe. 
[2]  The  mercy  of  the  Lord  is  infinite,  and  does  not  suffer 
itself  to  be  limited  to  those  few  who  are  within  the  church,  but 
extends  itself  to  all  in  the  whole  world.  Their  being  born  out 
of  the  church  and  being  thus  in  ignorance  of  faith,  is  not  their 
fault ;  and  no  one  is  ever  condemned  for  not  having  faith  in 
the  Lord  when  he  is  ignorant  of  Him.  Who  that  thinks 
aright  will  ever  say  that  the  greatest  part  of  the  human  race 
must  perish  in  eternal  death  because  they  were  not  born  in 
Europe,  where  there  are  comparatively  few  ?  And  who  that 
thinks  aright  will  say  that  the  Lord  suffered  so  great  a  multi- 
tude to  be  born  to  perish  in  eternal  death  ?  This  would  be 
contrary  to  the  Divine,  and  contrary  to  mercy.  And  besides, 
those  who  are  out  of  the  church,  and  are  called  Gentiles,  live  a 
much  more  moral  life  than  those  who  are  within  the  church, 
and  embrace  much  more  easily  the  doctrine  of  true  faith,  as  is 


528  GENESIS  [N.  1032 

still  more  evident  from  souls  in  the  other  life.  The  worst  of 
all  come  from  the  so-called  Christian  world,  holding  the  neigh- 
bor in  deadly  hatred,  and  even  the  Lord.  Above  all  others  in 
the  whole  world  they  are  adulterers.  [3]  It  is  not  so  with 
those  from  other  parts  of  the  world.  Very  many  of  those  who 
have  worshiped  idols  are  of  such  a  disposition  as  to  abhor 
hatred  and  adultery,  and  to  fear  Christians  because  of  their 
being  of  this  character  and  desirous  of  tormenting  every  one. 
Indeed  Gentiles  are  so  disposed  as  to  listen  readily,  when  taught 
by  angels  about  the  truths  of  faith,  and  that  the  Lord  rules 
the  universe,  and  to  be  easily  imbued  with  faith  and  thus  to 
reject  their  idols.  For  this  reason  Gentiles  who  have  lived  a 
moral  life  and  in  mutual  charity  and  innocence,  are  regenerated 
in  the  other  life.  While  they  live  in  the  world  the  Lord  is 
present  with  them  in  charity  and  innocence,  for  there  is  nothing 
of  charity  and  innocence  except  from  the  Lord.  The  Lord  also 
gives  them  a  conscience  of  what  is  right  and  good  according 
to  their  religion,  and  insinuates  innocence  and  charity  into  that 
conscience ;  and  when  there  is  innocence  and  charity  in  the 
conscience,  they  easily  suffer  themselves  to  be  imbued  with 
the  truth  of  faith  from  good.  The  Lord  Himself  said  this,  in 
Luke : — 

And  one  said  unto  Him,  Lord,  are  they  few  that  be  saved  ?  and  He 
said  unto  them,  Ye  shall  see  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  all  the 
prophets,  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  yourselves  cast  forth  without ;  and 
they  shall  come  from  the  east  and  the  west,  and  from  the  north  and  from 
the  south,  and  shall  sit  down  in  the  kingdom  of  God  ;  and  behold,  there 
are  last  who  shall  be  first,  and  there  are  first  who  shall  be  last  (xiii.  23, 
28-30). 

By  "  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob"  are  here  meant  all  who  have 
love,  as  shown  above. 

1033.  With  regard  to  a  conscience  of  what  is  right  and 
good  being  given  to  Gentiles  according  to  their  religion,  the 
case  is  this :  Conscience,  in  general,  is  either  true,  spurious, 
or  false.  True  conscience  is  that  which  is  formed  by  the  Lord 
of  the  truths  of  faith.  When  a  man  has  been  gifted  with 
this,  he  fears  to  act  contrary  to  the  truths  of  faith,  because  he 
would  thus  act  contrary  to  conscience.  This  conscience  no 
one  can  receive  who  is  not  in  the  truths  of  faith,  and  there* 


N.  1033]  CHAPTER   IX.  VEB.  11  529 

fore  there  are  not  very  many  in  the  Christian  world  who 
receive  it,  for  each  one  sets  up  his  own  dogma  as  the  truth 
of  faith.  But  still  those  who  are  being  regenerated  receive 
conscience  together  with  charity,  for  the  very  ground  of  con- 
science is  charity.  Spurious  conscience  is  that  which  is  formed 
with  Gentiles  from  their  religious  worship  into  which  they 
have  been  born  and  edmcated,  to  act  contrary  to  which  is  to 
them  to  act  contrary  to  conscience.  When  their  conscience 
has  been  founded  in  charity  and  mercy,  and  in  obedience,  they 
are  in  such  a  state  that  they  can  receive  true  conscience  in  the 
other  life,  and  they  also  do  receive  it ;  for  they  love  nothing 
before  and  beyond  the  truth  of  faith.  False  conscience  is  that 
which  is  formed,  not  from  internal  but  from  external  things, 
that  is,  not  from  charity  but  from  the  love  of  self  and  of  the 
world.  For  there  are  those  who  seem  to  themselves  to  act 
contrary  to  conscience  when  they  act  against  the  neighbor,  and 
also  seem  to  themselves  to  be  then  inwardly  pained ;  and  yet 
it  is  for  the  reason  that  they  perceive  in  their  thought  that 
their  life,  honor,  fame,  wealth,  or  gain,  is  thus  imperiled,  and 
therefore  they  themselves  are  injured.  Some  inherit  such  a 
softness  of  heart,  some  acquire  it ;  but  it  is  a  false  conscience. 
1034.  Neither  shall  all  flesh  be  cutoff  anymore  by  the  waters 
of  the -flood.  That  this  signifies  that  they  should  not  perish, 
as  did  the  last  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  is  evi- 
dent from  what  has  been  said  before  about  those  before  the 
flood,  who  perished,  being  signified  by  those  who  were  cut  off 
by  the  waters  of  the  flood.  It  has  been  shown  before  (n.  310) 
how  the  case  was,  namely,  that  the  last  posterity  of  the  Most 
Ancient  Church  was  of  such  a  nature  that  both  the  will  part 
and  the  intellectual  part  of  their  mind  had  become  corrupt,  so 
that  the  intellectual  could  not  be  separated  from  the  will,  and 
a  new  will  be  formed  in  the  intellectual,  since  both  parts  of 
their  mind  cohered  together.  And  because  this  was  foreseen, 
it  was  also  provided  by  the  Lord  that  the  intellectual  in  man 
might  be  separated  from  the  will,  and  thus  be  renewed.  And 
therefore  because  it  was  provided  that  such  men  as  were  that 
race  before  the  flood  should  not  afterwards  exist,  therefore  it 
is  here  said,  "  neither  shall  all  flesh  be  cut  off  any  morr,  by  the 
waters  of  the  flood." 
VOL.  L— 34 


530  GENESIS  [N.  1035 

1035.  Neither  shall  there  any  more  be  a  flood  to  destroy  the 
earth.     That  this  signifies  that  such  a  deadly  and  suffocating 
persuasion  should  no  longer  come  forth,  is  evident  from  the 
signification  of  "  a  flood"  relatively  to  the  antediluvians  who 
perished,  as  described   above ;  as  well  as  from  their  direful 
persuasions  (n.  311,  563,  570,  581,  586) ;  as  also  from  what 
has  been  shown  of  the  succeeding  church,  called  "  Noah ;"  and 
further  from  what  follows  concerning  the  rainbow. 

1036.  Verses  12,  13.    And  God  said,  This  is  the  sign  of  the 
covenant  which  I  make  between  Me  and  you  and  every  living 
soul  that  is  with  you,  for  the  generations  of  an  age  :  I  have  set 
My  bow  in  the  cloud,  and  it  shall  be  for  a  sign  of  a  covenant 
between  Me  and  the  earth.     "  And  God  said,"  signifies  that  it 
was  so ;  "  this  is  the  sign  of  the  covenant,"  signifies  an  indica- 
tion of  the  presence  of  the  Lord  in  charity  ;  "  which  I  make 
between  Me  and  you,"  signifies  the  conjunction  of  the  Lord 
with  man  by  charity ;  "  and  every  living  soul  that  is  with 
you,"  signifies  as  before  all  things  in  man  that  have  been  re- 
generated ;  "  for  the  generations  of  an  age,"  signifies  all  per- 
petually who  are  being  created  anew ;  "  I  have  set  My  bow  in 
the  cloud,"  signifies  the  state  of  the  regenerated  spiritual  man, 
which  is  like  a  rainbow ;  "  the  cloud"  signifies  the  obscure 
light  in  which  is  the  spiritual  man  relatively  to  the  celestial ; 
"  and  it  shall  be  for  a  sign  of  a  covenant  between  Me  and  the 
earth,"  signifies  as  before  an  indication  of  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  in  charity ;  "  the  earth"  is  here  that  which  is  man's  own. 
All  these  things  regard  the  regenerate  spiritual  man,  or  the 
spiritual  church. 

1037.  And  God  said.     That  this  signifies  that  it  was  so, 
has  been  said  and  shown  before ;  for  the  "  saying  of  God"  or 
"of  Jehovah,"   signifies   that  it  was  so.     The  most  ancient 
people  arranged  the  things  of  the  church  in  the  form  of  his- 
tory ;  and  when  they  wished  to  affirm  that  a  thing  was  so,  they 
said  that  "  God  said,"  or  "  Jehovah  said,"  and  this  was  their 
form  of  asseveration  and  confirmation. 

1038.  This  is  the  sign  of  the  covenant.     That  this  signifies 
an  indication  of  the  presence  of  the  Lord  in  charity,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  signification  of  a  "  covenant"  and  of  a  "  si^n 
of  a  covenant."     That  a  "  covenant"  signifies  the  presence  of 


N.  1038]  CHAPTER   IX.  VERS.  12,  13  531 

the  Lord  in  charity,  has  been  shown  before  (chapter  vi.  verse  18, 
and  above  in  the  present  chapter,  verse  9).  That  a  "  covenant" 
is  the  presence  of  the  Lord  in  love  and  charity,  is  evident  from 
the  nature  of  a  covenant.  Every  covenant  is  for  the  sake  of 
conjunction,  that  is,  for  the  sake  of  living  in  mutual  friend- 
ship, or  love.  Marriage  also  is  for  this  reason  called  a  cove- 
nant. There  is  no  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  man  except 
in  love  and  charity ;  for  the  Lord  is  love  and  mercy  itself. 
He  wills  to  save  every  one  and  to  draw  him  with  mighty  power 
to  heaven,  that  is,  to  Himself.  From  this  every  one  may  know 
and  conclude  that  no  one  can  ever  be  conjoined  with  the  Lord 
except  through  that  which  He  Himself  is,  that  is,  except  by 
becoming  like  or  making  one  with  Him — in  other  words,  by 
loving  the  Lord  in  return  and  loving  the  neighbor  as  himself. 
By  this  alone  is  the  conjunction  effected.  This  is  the  veriest 
essence  of  a  covenant.  When  there  is  conjunction  from  this,  it 
then  follows  manifestly  that  the  Lord  is  present.  There  is  in- 
deed the  very  presence  of  the  Lord  with  every  man,  but  it  is 
nearer  or  more  remote  exactly  according  to  the  approach  to 
love  or  the  distance  from  love.  [2]  Because  the  "  covenant" 
is  the  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  man  by  love,  or  what  is 
the  same,  the  presence  of  the  Lord  with  man  in  love  and 
charity,  it  is  called  in  the  Word  the  "  covenant  of  peace  ;"  for 
"  peace"  signifies  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord,  and  the  kingdom 
of  the  Lord  consists  in  mutual  love,  in  which  alone  is  peace. 
As  in  Isaiah  : — 

For  the  mountains  shall  depart,  and  the  hills  be  removed ;  but  My 
mercy  shall  not  depart  from  thee,  neither  shall  My  covenant  of  peace 
be  removed,  saith  Jehovah  that  hath  mercy  on  thee  (liv.  10), 

where  mercy,  which  is  of  love,  is  called  a  "  covenant  of  peace." 
In  Ezekiel : — 

I  will  raise  up  one  shepherd  over  them,  and  he  shall  feed  them,  even 
My  servant  David  ;  he  shall  feed  them,  and  he  shall  be  their  shepherd ; 
and  I  will  make  with  them  a  covenant  of  peace  (xxxiv.  23,  25), 

where  by  "  David"  is  plainly  meant  the  Lord ;  and  His  pres- 
ence with  the  regenerate  man  is  described  by  His  "  feeding" 
them.  [3]  Again  : — 

My  servant  David  shall  be  king  over  them  ;  and  there  shall  be  to  them 
all  one  shepnerd,  and  I  will  make  a  covenant  of  peace  with  them  ;  it 


532  GENESIS  [N.    1038 

shall  be  an  everlasting  covenant  with  them  ;  and  I  will  set  them,  and  will 
cause  them  to  multiply,  and  will  put  My  sanctuary  in  the  midst  of  them 
for  evermore  ;  and  I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  My  people 
(xxxvii.  24,  26,  27), 

where  in  like  manner  the  Lord  is  meant  by  "  David  ;"  love,  by 
"  His  sanctuary  in  the  midst  of  them ;"  the  presence  and  con- 
junction of  the  Lord  in  love,  by  "  His  being  their  God  and  by 
their  being  His  people,"  which  is  called  a  "  covenant  of  peace," 
and  an  "  everlasting  covenant."  In  Malachi : — 

Ye  shall  know  that  I  have  sent  this  commandment  unto  you,  that  My 
covenant  might  be  with  Levi,  saith  Jehovah  of  armies  ;  My  covenant  was 
with  him  of  lives  and  peace ;  and  I  gave  them  to  him  in  fear,  and  he 
shall  fear  Me  (ii.  4,  5). 

"  Levi"  in  the  supreme  sense  is  the  Lord,  and  hence  the  man 
who  has  love  and  charity,  and  therefore  the  covenant  of  lives 
and  peace  with  Levi  is  in  love  and  charity.  [4]  In  Moses, 
speaking  of  Phinehas  : — 

Behold,  I  give  unto  him  My  covenant  of  peace  ;  and  it  shall  be  unto 
him,  and  to  his  seed  after  him,  the  covenant  of  an  eternal  priesthood 
(Num.  xxv.  12,  13), 

where  by  "  Phinehas"  is  not  meant  Phinehas,  but  the  priest- 
hood which  was  represented  by  him,  which  signifies  love  and 
what  is  of  love,  as  does  all  the  priesthood  of  that  church. 
Every  one  knows  that  Phinehas  did  not  have  an  eternal  priest- 
hood. Again  : — 

Jehovah  thy  God,  He  is  God  ;  the  faithful  God,  who  keepeth  covenant 
and  mercy  with  them  that  love  Him  and  keep  His  commandments,  to  the 
thousandth  generation  (Deut.  vii.  9.  12), 

where  it  is  plain  that  the  presence  of  the  Lord  with  man  in 
love  is  the  "  covenant,"  for  it  is  said  that  He  keepeth  it  with 
them  that  love  Him  and  keep  His  commandments.  [5]  Since 
a  "  covenant"  is  the  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  man  by  love, 
it  follows  that  it  is  also  by  all  things  that  pertain  to  love, 
which  are  the  truths  of  faith,  and  are  called  precepts ;  for  all 
precepts,  indeed  the  Law  and  the  Prophets,  are  founded  on 
the  one  Law,  to  love  the  Lord  above  all  things  and  the  neigh- 
bor as  one's  self,  as  is  evident  from  the  words  of  the  Lord 
(Matt.  xxii.  34-40;  Mark  xii.  28-34).  And  therefore  the 
tables  on  which  were  written  the  ten  commandments,  are 


N.  1038]  CHAPTER   IX.  VERS.  12,    13  533 

called  the  "Tables  of  the  Covenant."  Since  a  covenant,  or 
conjunction,  is  effected  through  the  laws  or  precepts  of  love, 
it  was  effected  also  through  the  laws  of  society  given  by  the 
Lord  in  the  Jewish  Church,  which  are  called  "  testimonies ;" 
and  also  through  the  rites  of  the  church  enjoined  by  the  Lord, 
called  "  statutes."  All  these  things  are  said  to  be  of  the 
"  covenant"  because  they  regard  love  and  charity,  as  we  read 
of  Josiah  the  king  : — 

The  king  stood  upon  the  pillar,  and  made  a  covenant  before  Jehovah, 
to  walk  after  Jehovah,  and  to  keep  His  commandments,  and  His  testi- 
monies, and  His  statutes,  with  all  the  heart  and  with  all  the  soul,  to  es- 
tablish the  words  of  this  covenant  (2  Kings  xxiii.  3). 

[6]  From  these  things  it  is  now  evident  what  a  "  covenant"  is, 
and  that  the  covenant  is  internal ;  for  the  conjunction  of  the 
Lord  with  man  takes  place  by  what  is  internal,  and  never  by 
what  is  external  separate  from  what  is  internal.  External 
things  are  only  types  and  representatives  of  internal,  as  the 
action  of  a  man  is  a  type  representative  of  his  thought  and 
will ;  and  as  the  work  of  charity  is  a  type  representative  of 
the  charity  which  is  within,  in  the  heart  and  mind.  So  all  the 
rites  of  the  Jewish  Church  were  types  representative  of  the 
Lord,  consequently  of  love  and  charity,  and  of  all  things 
therefrom.  Wherefore  it  is  through  the  internals  of  man  that 
a  covenant  and  conjunction  is  made,  and  externals  are  only 
signs  of  the  covenant,  as  indeed  they  are  called.  That  a  cove- 
nant and  conjunction  is  made  through  internals  is  plainly  evi- 
dent, as  in  Jeremiah  : — 

Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  Jehovah,  that  I  will  make  a  new  cove- 
nant with  the  house  of  Israel,  and  with  the  house  of  Judah  ;  not  accord- 
ing to  the  covenant  that  I  made  with  their  fathers,  forasmuch  as  they 
made  vain  My  covenant ;  but  this  is  the  covenant  that  I  will  make  with 
the  house  of  Israel  after  these  days,  saith  Jehovah  ;  I  will  put  My  law 
in  their  inward  parts  and  write  it  on  their  heart  (xxxi.  31-33), 

where  a  new  church  is  treated  of.  It  is  clearly  stated  that  the 
veriest  covenant  is  through  the  internals,  and  indeed  in  con- 
science on  which  the  Law  is  inscribed,  all  of  which  is  of  love, 
as  has  been  said.  [7]  That  external  things  are  not  the  "cove- 
nant," unless  internal  things  are  adjoined  to  them,  and  thus 
by  union  act  as  one  and  the  same  cause  ;  but  are  only  "  signs" 


534  GENESIS  [N.  1038 

of  the  covenant  by  means  of  which  as  by  representative  types 
the  Lord  might  be  kept  in  remembrance,  is  evident  from  the 
fact  that  the  Sabbath  and  circumcision  are  called  "  signs"  of  the 
covenant.  That  the  Sabbath  is  so  called,  we  read  in  Moses  :  — 

The  sons  of  Israel  shall  keep  the  Sabbath,  to  observe  the  Sabbath 
throughout  their  generations,  for  a  perpetual  covenant  ;  it  is  a  sign  be- 
tween Me  and  the  sons  of  Israel  eternally  (Exod.  xxxi.  16,  17). 

And  that  circumcision  also  is  so  called,  in  the  same  :  — 

This  is  My  covenant,  which  ye  shall  keep,  between  Me  and  you  and 
thy  seed  after  thee  :  that  every  male  be  circumcised  unto  you  ;  and  ye 
shall  circumcise  the  flesh  of  your  foreskin  ;  and  it  shall  be  for  a  sign  of 
a  covenant  between  Me  and  you  (Gen.  xvii.  10,  11). 


Hence  also  blood  is  called  the  "  blood  of  the  covenant" 
xxiv.  7,  8).  [8]  External  rites  are  called  "signs  of  a  cove- 
nant," for  the  reason  chiefly  that  interior  things  may  be  kept 
in  mind  by  them,  that  is,  the  things  signified  by  them.  All 
the  rites  of  the  Jewish  Church  were  nothing  else.  And  for 
this  reason  they  were  also  called  "  signs,"  that  the  people  might 
be  reminded  by  them  of  interior  things  —  as  for  instance,  the 
binding  of  the  chief  commandment  on  the  hand  and  on  the 
forehead,  as  in  Moses  :  — 

Thou  shalt  love  Jehovah  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy 
soul,  and  with  all  thy  might  ;  and  these  words  thou  shalt  bind  for  a  sign 
upon  thy  hand,  and  they  shall  be  for  frontlets  between  thine  eyes  (Deut. 
vi.  5,  8  ;  xi.  13,  18). 

Here  "hand"  signifies  the  will  because  it  signifies  power,  for 
power  is  of  the  will  ;  "  frontlets  between  the  eyes,"  signify 
the  understanding  ;  thus  the  "  sign"  signifies  remembrance  of 
the  chief  commandment,  or  of  the  Law  in  sum,  that  it  may  be 
continually  in  the  will  and  in  the  thought,  that  is,  that  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  and  of  love  may  be  in  all  the  will  and 
in  all  the  thought.  Such  is  the  presence  of  the  Lord  and  of 
mutual  love  from  Him  with  the  angels,  which  continual  pres- 
ence will  be  further  described,  by  the  Divine  mercy  of  the 
Lord,  hereafter.  In  like  manner,  in  the  present  verse  its  being 
said  :  "  This  is  the  sign  of  the  covenant  which  I  make  be- 
tween Me  and  you  :  I  have  set  My  bow  in  the  cloud,  and  it 
shall  be  for  a  sign  of  a  covenant  between  Me  and  the  earth," 
signifies  no  other  sign  than  an  indication  of  the  presence  of 


N.  1038]  CHAPTER   IX.  VERS.  12,  13  535 

the  Lord  in  charity,  thus  the  remembrance  of  Him  in  man. 
But  how  there  is  thence,  or  from  the  bow  in  the  cloud,  a  sign 
and  remembrance,  will  be  told,  of  the  Lord's  Divine  mercy,  in 
what  follows. 

1039.  Which  I  make  between  Me  and  you.     That  this  sig- 
nifies the  conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  man  by  charity,  is 
evident  from  what  has  now  been  said  of  the  covenant  and  the 
sign  of  the  covenant.     For  the  "  covenant"  is  the  presence  of 
the  Lord  in  charity.     "  Between  Me  and  you,"  is  conjunction 
therefrom.     "  Making"  is  causing  to  be. 

1040.  And  every  living  soul  that  is  with  you.     That  this 
signifies  all  things  in  man  that  have  been  regenerated,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  signification  of  "living  soul,"  shown  above  at 
verse  10.     For  "soul"  in  the  Word  signifies,  as  before  said, 
all  man's  life  both  internal  and  external,  and  even  that  of 
animals  from  their  signifying  what  is  in  man.     But  that  is 
properly  a  "living  soul"  which  receives  life  from  the  Lord, 
that  is,  which  is  regenerate,  because  this  alone  is  living.    And 
because  "  soul"  signifies  man's  life  both  internal  and  external, 
"living  soul"  signifies  in  one  complex  all  things  in  man  that 
have  been  regenerated.     In  man  there  are  things  of  the  will 
and  things  of  the  understanding,  the  two  being  most  distinct ; 
and  with  a  living  man  all  of  these  both  in  general  and  in  par- 
ticular are  also  living ;  for  the  fact  is  that  such  as  a  man  is, 
such  are  all  things  in  him  both  in  general  and  in  particular ;  his 
general  life  itself  is  in  everything.     [2]  For  every  general  is 
derived  from  all  the  component  items,  as  from  its  own  partic- 
ulars ;  in  no  other  way  can  any  general  come  into  existence, 
for  it  is  called  a  general  because  it  comes  forth  from  par- 
ticulars.    Therefore  such  as  is  a  man's  life  in  general,  such 
is  it  in  the  most  minute  atoms   of  his  effort  and  intention 
— that  is,  of  his  will — and  in  the  most  minute  atoms  of  his 
thought ;  so  that  there  cannot  be  the  smallest  bit  of  an  idea 
in  which  the  life  is  not  the  same.     As  for  example  with  a 
haughty  man  :  in  every  single  effort  of  his  will  and  in  every 
single  idea  of  his  thought  there  is  haughtiness  ;  with  him  who 
is  covetous  there  is  in  like  manner  covetousness,  and  so  with 
him  who  hates  his  neighbor ;  just  as  with  the  stupid  man 
there  is  stupidity  in  everything  of  his  will  and  everything  of 


536  GENESIS  [N.  1040 

his  thought,  and  with  him  who  is  insane  there  is  insanity. 
Since  this  is  the  nature  of  man,  in  the  other  life  his  quality  is 
known  from  a  single  idea  of  his  thought.  [3]  When  a  man 
has  been  regenerated,  then  all  things  in  him,  both  in  general 
and  in  particular,  have  also  been  regenerated,  that  is,  have  life, 
and  the  life  they  have  bears  an  exact  proportion  to  the  degree 
in  which  his  own  will — which  is  foul  and  dead — could  be 
separated  from  the  new  will  and  intellectual  that  he  has  re- 
ceived from  the  Lord.  Therefore  as  the  subject  here  treated 
of  is  the  regenerated  man,  the  "living  soul"  signifies  all 
things  in  the  man  that  have  been  regenerated,  which,  in  gen- 
eral, are  all  the  things  of  his  understanding  and  of  his  will, 
both  interior  and  exterior,  and  which  were  expressed  before, 
in  the  tenth  verse,  by  the  "  fowl,  the  beast,  and  the  wild  ani- 
mal of  the  earth;"  for  it  is  said,  "I  establish  My  covenant 
with  every  living  soul  that  is  with  you,  the  fowl,  the  beast, 
and  the  wild  animal  of  the  earth." 

1041.  For  the  generations  of  an  age.    That  this  signifies  all 
perpetually  who  are  being  created  anew,  is  evident  from  the 
signification  of  the  "  generations  of  an  age."     "  Generations" 
are  posterities  which  are  from  those  which  have  preceded,  as 
from  their  parents.     "  Of  an  age,"  is  what  is  perpetual.     The 
subject  here  is  the  things  that  have  been  regenerated,  and 
therefore  by  the  "  generations  of  an  age"  are  meant  those  who 
thereby  are  perpetually  being  regenerated,  that  is,  who  are 
being  created  anew.     In  the  internal  sense,  all  things  bear  a 
signification  that  is  determined  by  what  is  being  treated  of. 

1042.  /  have  set  My  low  in  the  cloud.     This  signifies  the 
state  of  the  regenerated  spiritual  man,  which  is  like  a  rain- 
bow.    Any  one  may  wonder  that  the  "  bow  in  the  cloud,"  or 
the  rainbow,  is  taken  in  the  Word  for  a  token  of  the  cove- 
nant, seeing  that  the  rainbow  is  nothing  but  an  appearance 
arising  from  the  modification  of  the  rays  of  sunlight  in  rain- 
drops, and  thus  only  something  natural,  unlike  other  signs  of 
the  covenant  in  the  church,  mentioned  just  above.     And  that 
the  "  bow  in  the  cloud"  represents  regeneration,  and  signifies 
the  state  of  the  regenerated  spiritual  man,  cannot  be  known 
to  any  one  unless  it  be  given  him  to  see  and  hence  to  know 
how  the  case  is.     Spiritual  angels,  who  have  all  been  regen- 


N.  1042]  CHAPTER   IX.  VERS.  12,  13  537 

erated  men  of  the  spiritual  church,  when  presented  to  sight  as 
such  in  the  other  life,  appear  with  as  it  were  a  rainbow  about 
the  head.  But  the  rainbows  seen  are  in  accordance  with  their 
state,  and  thus  from  them  their  quality  is  known  in  heaven 
and  in  the  world  of  spirits.  The  reason  that  the  appearance 
of  a  rainbow  is  seen  is  that  their  natural  things  corresponding 
to  their  spiritual  present  such  an  appearance.  It  is  a  modifi- 
cation of  spiritual  light  from  the  Lord  in  their  natural  things. 
These  angels  are  those  who  are  said  to  be  regenerated  "of 
water  and  the  spirit,"  but  the  celestial  angels  are  said  to  be 
regenerated  "with  fire."  [2]  As  regards  natural  colors,  the 
existence  of  color  requires  something  both  dark  and  light,  or 
black  and  white.  When  rays  of  sunlight  fall  on  this,  accord- 
ing to  the  varied  tempering  of  the  dark  and  the  light,  or  of 
the  black  and  the  white,  from  the  modification  of  the  inflow- 
ing rays  of  light  colors  are  produced,  some  of  which  partake 
more  and  some  less  of  the  dark  and  black,  and  some  more 
and  some  less  of  the  light  and  white ;  and  hence  is  their 
diversity.  To  speak  comparatively,  it  is  the  same  in  spiritual 
things.  The  darkness  in  this  case  is  the  Own  of  man's  intel- 
lectual part,  or  falsity  ;  and  the  blackness  is  the  Own  of  his 
will  part,  or  evil ;  which  absorb  and  extinguish  the  rays  of 
light.  But  the  lightness  and  whiteness  is  the  truth  and  good 
that  the  man  supposes  he  does  of  himself,  which  reflects  and 
throws  back  from  itself  the  rays  of  light.  The  rays  of  light 
that  fall  upon  these,  and  as  it  were  modify  them,  are  from  the 
Lord,  as  from  the  Sun  of  wisdom  and  intelligence ;  for  rays  of 
spiritual  light  are  no  other  and  from  no  other  source.  It  is 
because  natural  things  correspond  to  spiritual  that  when  what 
is  about  a  regenerate  spiritual  man  is  presented  to  view  in  the 
other  life,  it  appears  like  the  bow  in  the  cloud,  this  bow  being 
the  representation  of  his  spiritual  things  in  his  natural  things. 
There  is  in  the  regenerate  spiritual  man  an  Own  of  the  under- 
standing into  which  the  Lord  insinuates  innocence,  charity, 
and  mercy.  According  to  the  reception  of  these  gifts  by  the 
man  is  the  appearance  of  his  rainbow  when  presented  to 
view — beautiful  in  proportion  to  the  degree  in  which  the 
Own  of  his  will  is  removed,  subdued,  and  reduced  to  obe- 
dience. [3]  By  the  prophets  also,  when  they  were  in  the 


538  GENESIS  [N.  1042 

vision  of  God,  there  was  seen  a  bow  as  in  a  cloud.  As  by 
Ezekiel : — 

Above  the  expanse  that  was  over  the  head  of  the  cherubs  was  the  like- 
ness of  a  throne,  as  the  appearance  of  a  sapphire  stone  ;  and  upon  the 
likeness  of  the  throne  was  a  likeness  as  the  appearance  of  a  Man  upon  it 
above  ;  and  I  saw  as  the  appearance  of  burning  coal,  as  the  appearance 
of  fire  within  it  round  about,  from  the  appearance  of  His  loins  and  up- 
ward ;  and  from  the  appearance  of  His  loins  and  downward  I  saw  as  it 
were  the  appearance  of  fire,  and  there  was  brightness  round  about  Him  ; 
as  the  appearance  of  the  bow  that  is  in  the  cloud  in  the  day  of  rain,  so 
was  the  appearance  of  the  brightness  round  about ;  this  was  the  appear- 
ance of  the  likeness  of  the  glory  of  Jehovah  (i.  26-28). 

It  must  be  evident  to  every  one  that  it  is  the  Lord  who  was 
thus  seen,  and  also  that  by  Him  was  represented  heaven,  for 
He  is  heaven,  that  is,  He  is  the  all  in  all  things  of  heaven. 
He  is  the  "  Man"  here  spoken  of ;  the  "  throne"  is  heaven ;  the 
"  burning  coal  as  the  appearance  of  fire  from  the  loins  and  up- 
ward" is  the  celestial  of  love ;  the  "  brightness  as  of  fire  round 
about  from  the  loins  downward,  as  the  bow  in  the  cloud,"  is 
the  celestial  spiritual.  Thus  the  celestial  heaven,  or  the  heaven 
of  the  celestial  angels,  is  represented  from  the  loins  upward, 
and  the  spiritual  heaven,  or  the  heaven  of  the  spiritual  angels, 
is  represented  from  the  loins  downward.  For  in  the  Grand 
Man  what  is  below,  from  the  loins  down  through  the  feet  to 
the  soles,  signifies  what  is  natural.  Hence  also  it  is  evident 
that  the  natural  things  of  man  thus  illuminated  by  spiritual 
light  from  the  Lord,  appear  as  the  bow  in  the  cloud.  The 
like  was  seen  also  by  John  (Rev.  iv.  2,  3 ;  x.  1). 

1043.  That  the  "  cloud"  signifies  the  obscure  light  in  which 
is  the  spiritual  man  as  compared  with  the  celestial  man,  is  evi- 
dent from  what  has  just  been  said  about  the  "  bow ;"  for  the 
bow,  or  the  color  of  the  bow,  has  no  existence  except  in  the 
cloud.  As  before  said,  it  is  the  darkness  of  the  cloud,  through 
which  the  sun's  rays  shine,  that  is  turned  into  colors ;  and 
thus  the  color  is  such  as  is  the  darkness  which  is  touched  by 
the  brightness  of  the  rays.  The  case  is  the  same  with  the  spir- 
itual man.  With  him,  the  darkness  which  is  here  called  a 
"  cloud,r  is  falsity,  which  is  the  same  as  the  Own  of  his  under- 
standing. When  innocence,  charity,  and  mercy  are  insinu- 
ated into  this  Own  oy  the  Lord,  then  this  cloud  appears  no 


N.  1043]  CHAPTER   IX.  VERS.  12,  13  539 

longer  as  falsity,  but  as  an  appearance  of  truth,  together  with 
truth  from  the  Lord.  Hence  there  is  the  likeness  of  a  colored 
bow.  There  is  a  certain  spiritual  modification  which  can  by 
no  means  be  described,  and  unless  it  be  perceived  by  man  by 
means  of  colors  and  their  origin,  I  do  not  know  how  it  can  be 
set  forth  to  his  apprehension.  [2]  The  nature  of  this  "  cloud" 
with  the  regenerate  man  may  be  seen  from  his  state  before  re- 
generation. Man  is  regenerated  through  what  he  supposes  to 
be  truths  of  faith.  Every  one  supposes  his  own  dogma  to  be 
true,  and  from  this  he  acquires  a  conscience,  for  which  reason 
after  he  has  acquired  a  conscience,  to  act  contrary  to  what  has 
been  impressed  upon  him  as  truths  of  faith,  is  to  him  contrary 
to  conscience.  Such  is  every  regenerated  man.  For  many  are 
regenerated  by  the  Lord  in  every  dogma,  and  when  they  have 
been  regenerated  they  do  not  receive  any  immediate  revelation, 
but  only  what  is  insinuated  into  them  through  the  Word  and 
the  preaching  of  the  Word.  But  because  they  receive  charity, 
the  Lord  works  through  charity  upon  their  cloud,  from  which 
there  springs  light,  as  when  the  sun  strikes  a  cloud,  which  then 
becomes  more  luminous  and  is  variegated  with  colors.  Thus 
also  there  arises  in  the  cloud  the  likeness  of  a  bow.  The  thin- 
ner the  cloud,  that  is,  the  more  numerous  are  the  intermingled 
truths  of  faith  of  which  it  consists,  the  more  beautiful  is  the 
bow.  But  the  denser  the  cloud,  that  is,  the  fewer  the  truths 
of  faith  of  which  it  consists,  the  less  beautiful  is  the  bow.  In- 
nocence adds  much  to  its  beauty,  giving  as  it  were  a  living 
brightness  to  the  colors.  [3]  All  appearances  of  truth  are 
clouds  in  which  man  is  when  he  is  in  the  sense  of  the  letter  of 
the  Word,  for  the  language  of  the  Word  is  according  to  appear- 
ances. But  when  he  believes  the  Word  with  simplicity,  and 
has  charity,  even  though  he  remains  in  appearances,  this  cloud 
is  comparatively  thin.  It  is  in  this  cloud  that  conscience  is 
formed  by  the  Lord  with  a  man  who  is  within  the  church.  All 
ignorances  of  truth  are  also  clouds,  in  which  man  is  when  he 
does  not  know  what  the  truth  of  faith  is  ;  in  general,  when  he 
does  not  know  what  the  Word  is,  and  still  more  when  he  has 
not  heard  about  the  Lord.  In  this  cloud  conscience  is  formed 
by  the  Lord  with  a  man  who  is  outside  the  church ;  for  in  his 
very  ignorance  there  may  be  innocence,  and  thus  charity.  All 


GENESIS  [N.  1043 

falsities  also  are  clouds  ;  but  these  clouds  are  darkness,  and  are 
either  with  those  who  have  a  false  conscience — described  else- 
where— or  with  those  who  have  none.  These  are,  in  general, 
the  qualities  of  clouds.  As  regards  their  mass,  there  are  with 
man  clouds  so  great  and  so  dense  that  if  he  knew  of  them,  he 
would  wonder  that  rays  of  light  could  ever  shine  through  from 
tne  Lord,  and  that  man  could  be  regenerated.  He  who  sup- 
poses himself  to  have  the  least  cloud,  has  sometimes  a  very 
great  one ;  and  he  who  believes  that  he  has  very  much  cloud, 
has  less.  [4]  There  are  such  clouds  with  the  spiritual  man, 
but  not  so  great  with  the  celestial,  because  he  has  love  to  the 
Lord  implanted  in  his  will  part,  and  therefore  receives  from 
the  Lord,  not  conscience,  as  does  the  spiritual  man,  but  per- 
ception of  good  and  thence  of  truth.  When  man's  will  part  is 
such  that  it  can  receive  the  rays  of  celestial  flame,  then  his  in- 
tellectual part  is  enlightened  thereby,  and  from  love  he  knows 
and  perceives  all  things  that  are  truths  of  faith.  His  will  part 
is  then  like  a  little  sun,  from  which  rays  shine  into  his  intel- 
lectual part.  Such  was  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church. 
But  when  man's  will  part  is  wholly  corrupt  and  infernal,  and 
therefore  a  new  will,  which  is  conscience,  is  formed  in  his  in- 
tellectual part  (as  was  the  case  with  the  man  of  the  Ancient 
Church,  and  is  so  with  every  regenerated  man  of  the  spiritual 
church),  then  his  cloud  is  dense,  for  he  needs  to  learn  what  is 
good  and  true,  and  has  no  perception  whether  it  is  so.  Then 
also  falsity  continually  flows  in  (which  is  the  darkness  of 
cloud)  from  his  black  will  part,  that  is,  through  it  from  hell. 
This  is  the  reason  why  the  intellectual  part  can  never  be  en- 
lightened in  the  spiritual  man  as  it  is  in  the  celestial.  Hence 
it  is  that  the  "  cloud"  here  signifies  the  obscure  light  in  which 
the  spiritual  man  is  in  comparison  with  the  celestial. 

1044.  And  it  shall  be  for  a  sign  of  a  covenant  between  Me 
and  the  earth.  That  this  signifies  a  sign  of  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  in  charity,  and  that  the  "  earth"  here  denotes  the  Own 
of  man,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  already  said.  That  the 
"earth"  signifies  the  Own  of  man,  is  evident  also  from  the 
internal  sense  and  from  the  connection  in  which  it  here  occurs. 
For  it  was  said  before  :  "  this  is  the  sign  of  the  covenant  which 
I  make  between  Me  and  you  and  every  living  soul  that  is  with 


N.  1044]  CHAPTER   IX.  VERS.  12,  13  541 

you,"  by  which  was  signified  whatever  has  been  regenerated. 
But  here  it  is  said,  differently :  "  it  shall  be  for  a  sign  of  a 
covenant  between  Me  and  the  earth."  From  this,  and  also 
from  the  repetition  of  the  words  "  sign  of  a  covenant,"  it  is 
plain  that  here  something  else  is  signified,  and  in  fact  that  the 
"  earth"  means  that  which  is  not  and  can  not  be  regenerated, 
which  is  the  Own  of  man's  will  part.  [2]  For  man  when  re- 
generated is  as  to  the  intellectual  part  the  Lord's,  but  as  to 
his  will  part  is  his  own,  these  two  parts  in  the  spiritual  man 
being  opposed.  But  though  the  will  part  of  man  is  opposed,  yet 
it  cannot  but  be  present ;  for  all  the  obscurity  in  his  intellectual 
part,  or  all  the  density  of  his  cloud,  is  from  it.  It  continually 
flows  in  from  it,  and  in  proportion  as  it  flows  in,  the  cloud  in 
his  intellectual  part  is  thickened;  but  in  proportion  as  it  is 
removed,  the  cloud  is  made  thin.  Thus  it  is  that  by  the  "earth" 
is  here  signified  the  Own  of  man.  (That  by  the  "  earth"  is  sig- 
nified the  corporeal  part  of  man,  as  well  as  many  other  things, 
has  been  shown  before.)  [3]  This  condition  of  things  between 
the  will  and  the  understanding  is  as  if  two  who  were  formerly 
conjoined  by  a  covenant  of  friendship,  as  were  the  will  and  the 
understanding  in  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  had 
their  friendship  broken,  and  enmity  had  arisen — as  took  place 
when  man  wholly  corrupted  his  will  part — and  then  when  a 
covenant  is  again  entered  into,  the  hostile  part  is  set  forth  as 
if  the  covenant  were  with  it,  but  it  is  not  with  it,  because  it  is 
utterly  opposite  and  contrary,  but  it  is  with  that  which  flows 
in  from  it — as  already  said — that  is,  with  the  Own  of  the  under- 
standing. The  "  token"  or  "  sign"  of  the  covenant  is  this,  that 
in  proportion  as  there  is  the  presence  of  the  Lord  in  the  Own 
of  the  understanding,  in  the  same  proportion  the  Own  of  the 
will  will  be  removed.  The  case  herein  is  exactly  as  it  is  with 
heaven  and  hell.  The  intellectual  part  of  the  regenerated  man, 
from  charity,  in  which  the  Lord  is  present,  is  heaven ;  his  will 
part  is  hell.  So  far  as  the  Lord  is  present  in  this  heaven,  so 
far  is  this  hell  removed.  For  of  himself  man  is  in  hell,  and 
of  the  Lord  is  in  heaven.  And  man  is  being  continually  up- 
lifted from  hell  into  heaven,  and  so  far  as  he  is  uplifted,  so  far 
his  hell  is  removed.  The  "  sign"  therefore,  or  indication,  that 
the  Lord  is  present,  is  that  man's  will  part  is  being  removed. 


542  GENESIS  [N.  1044 

The  possibility  of  its  removal  is  effected  by  means  of  temp- 
tations, and  by  many  other  means  of  regeneration. 

1045.  What  has  now  been  presented  regards  the  regener- 
ated spiritual  man,  or  the  spiritual  church.     What  is  to  fol- 
low regards  all  men  in  general ;  and  afterwards,  specifically, 
the  man  who  can  be  regenerated. 

1046.  Verses  14,  15.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  I  bring 
a  cloud  over  the  earth,  that  the  bow  shall  be  seen  in  the  cloud, 
and  I  will  remember  My  covenant,  which  is  between  Me  and  you 
and  every  living  soul  of  all  flesh  ;  and  the  waters  shall  no  more 
become  a  flood  to  destroy  all  flesh.     "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
when  I  bring  a  cloud  over  the  earth,"  signifies  when  on  account 
of  the  Own  of  man's  will  part  the  faith  of  charity  does  not  ap- 
pear ;  "  that  the  bow  shall  be  seen  in  the  cloud,"  signifies  when 
man  is  still  such  that  he  can  be  regenerated ;  "  and  I  will  re- 
member My  covenant,  which  is  between  Me  and  you,"  signifies 
the   mercy  of  the   Lord   specifically  toward   the   regenerate 
and  those  who  can  be  regenerated ;  "  and  every  living  soul  of 
all  flesh,"  signifies  the  whole  human  race;  "and  the  waters 
shall  no  more  become  a  flood  to  destroy  all  flesh,"  signifies 
that  man's  intellectual  part  should  no  more  be  able  to  put  on 
such  a  persuasion  for  its  destruction  as  did  the  posterity  of 
the  Most  Ancient  Church.     These  things  regard  all  men  in 
general. 

1047.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  ivhen  I  bring  a  cloud  over 
the  earth.     That  this  signifies  when  on  account  of  the  Own  of 
man's  will  part  the  faith  of  charity  does  not  appear,  is  evident 
from  what  has  been  said  just  above  about  the  earth — or  the 
Own  of  man's  will  part — namely,  that  it  is  of  such  a  nature 
that  it  continually  pours  into  the  intellectual  part  of  man  what 
is  obscure,  or  false,  which  is  a  "  clouding   over"  and  is  the 
source  of  all  falsity.      This  is  sufficiently  evident  from  the 
fact  that  the  loves  of  self  and  of  the  world — which  are  of 
man's  will — are  nothing  but  hatred.     For  in  so  far  as  any  one 
loves  himself,  so  far  he  hates  the  neighbor.     And  because 
these  loves  are  so  contrary  to  heavenly  love,  such  things  must 
needs  continually  flow  in  from  them  as  are  contrary  to  mutual 
love,  and  in  the  intellectual  part  all  these  are  falsities.    Thence 
comes  all  its  darkness  and  obscurity.     Falsity  beclouds  truth, 


N.  1047]  CHAPTER   IX.  VERS.  14,  15  543 

just  as  a  dark  cloud  does  the  light  of  the  sun.  And  because 
falsity  and  truth  cannot  be  together,  just  as  darkness  and  light 
cannot,  it  plainly  follows  that  the  one  departs  as  the  other 
comes.  And  since  this  happens  with  alternation,  it  is  there- 
fore said  here,  "  When  I  bring  a  cloud  over  the  earth,"  that  is, 
when  through  the  Own  of  the  will  part,  the  faith  of  charity,  or 
truth  with  its  derivative  good,  does  not  appear,  and  still  less 
good  with  its  derivative  truth. 

1048.  That  the  bow  shall  be  seen  in  the  cloud.     That  this 
signifies  when  man  is  still  such  that  he  can  be  regenerated,  is 
evident  from  the  signification  of  the  "  bow  in  the  cloud,"  which 
is  a  sign  or  indication  of  regeneration,  as  said  above.     With 
regard  to  the  bow  in  the  cloud,  the  case  further  is  this.     The 
quality  of  a  man,  or  of  a  soul  after  the  death  of  the  body,  is 
known  at  once ;  by  the  Lord  it  is  known  from  eternity,  and 
what  it  will  be  to  eternity.     By  the  angels  his  quality  is  per- 
ceived the  moment  he  comes  near.     There  is  a  certain  sphere 
which  exhales — so  to  speak — from  his  nature,  or  from  every- 
thing in  him ;  and  this  sphere,  wonderful  to  say,  is  such  that 
from  it  is  perceived  in  what  faith  and  in  what  charity  the  man 
is.     It  is  this  sphere  that  becomes  visible  as  a  bow  when  it  so 
pleases  the   Lord.      (Concerning   this  sphere,  of  the  Lord's 
Divine  mercy  hereafter.)    Hence  it  is  evident  what  is  here  sig- 
nified by  the  bow  when  seen  in  the  cloud,  namely,  when  man 
is  such  that  he  can  be  regenerated. 

1049.  And  I  ivill  remember  My  covenant,  which  is  between 
Me  and  you.     That  this  signifies  the  mercy  of  the  Lord,  spe- 
cifically toward  the  regenerate  and  those  who  can  be  regen- 
erated, also  follows,  for,  with  the  Lord,  to  "remember"  is  to 
have  mercy.     Remembering  cannot  be  predicated  of  the  Lord, 
because  from  eternity  He  knows  all  things  both  in  general  and 
in  particular ;  but  to  have  mercy  is  what  is  predicated  of  Him, 
because  He  knows  that  such  is  man's  character — that  is  to  say, 
as  before  said — that  man's  Own  is  infernal,  and  that  it  is  his 
very  hell.     For  by  the  Own  of  his  will,  man  communicates 
with  hell,  and  from   hell  and  from  itself  this   Own  desires 
nothing  so  much  and  so  strongly  as  to  cast  itself  down  into 
hell ;  nor  is  it  content  with  this,  but  desires  tc  cast  down  all 
in  the  universe.     Since  man  of  himself  is  such  a  devil,  and 


GENESIS  [N.  1049 

the  Lord  knows  this,  it  follows  that  His  "remembering  the 
covenant"  means  nothing  else  than  having  mercy  on  man,  and 
by  Divine  means  regenerating  him,  and  drawing  him  to  heaven 
by  a  mighty  force,  so  far  as  the  man  is  such  as  to  render  this 
possible. 

1050.  And  every  living  soul  of  all  flesh.  That  this  signifies 
the  whole  human  race,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of 
"  living  soul  of  all  flesh."  Every  man  is  called  a  living  soul 
from  what  is  living  in  him.  No  man  can  ever  live,  still  less 
as  a  man,  if  he  has  not  something  living  in  him,  that  is,  if  he 
has  not  something  of  innocence,  of  charity,  and  of  mercy,  or 
something  from  it  like  or  emulating  it.  This  something  of 
innocence,  charity,  and  mercy  man  receives  from  the  Lord 
during  infancy  and  childhood,  as  is  evident  from  the  state  of 
infants  and  also  from  that  of  childhood.  What  the  man  then 
receives  is  preserved  in  him,  and  the  things  that  are  preserved 
are  called  in  the  Word  "  remains,"  and  are  of  the  Lord  alone 
in  the  man.  What  is  thus  preserved  is  what  causes  the  man, 
when  he  comes  to  adult  age,  to  be  capable  of  being  a  man. 
(Concerning  remains  see  what  is  said  above,  n.  468,  530,  560- 
563,  576.)  [2]  That  the  states  of  innocence,  charity,  and 
mercy  which  a  man  has  had  in  infancy  and  during  the  years 
of  childhood,  cause  him  to  be  capable  of  being  a  man,  is  plainly 
evident  from  this,  that  man  is  not  born  into  any  exercise  of 
life,  as  brute  animals  are,  but  has  everything  to  learn,  and  what 
he  learns  becomes  by  exercise  habitual,  and  thus  as  it  were 
natural  to  him.  He  cannot  even  walk  or  speak  until  he  learns, 
and  so  with  everything  else.  By  use  these  things  become  as 
it  were  natural  to  him.  And  such  is  the  case  also  with  the 
states  of  innocence,  charity,  and  mercy  with  which  he  is  in  like 
manner  imbued  from  infancy,  and  without  which  states  he 
would  be  much  viler  than  a  brute.  Yet  these  are  states  which 
man  does  not  learn,  but  receives  as  a  gift  from  the  Lord,  and 
which  the  Lord  preserves  in  him.  Together  with  the  truths 
of  faith,  they  are  also  what  are  called  "  remains,"  and  are  of 
the  Lord  alone.  In  so  far  as  a  man  in  adult  age  extinguishes 
these  states,  he  becomes  dead.  When  a  man  is  being  regener- 
ated, these  states  are  the  beginnings  of  regeneration,  and  he 
is  led  into  them ;  for  the  Lord  works  through  the  remains,  as 


N.  1050]  CHAPTER  IX.  VERS.   14,  15  545 

already  stated.  [3]  These  remains  with  every  man  are  what 
are  here  called  the  "  living  soul  of  all  flesh."  That  "  all  flesh" 
signifies  every  man,  and  thus  the  whole  human  race,  is  evident 
from  the  signification  of  "flesh"  everywhere  in  the  Word. 
(See  what  was  shown  in  n.  574.)  As  in  Mattheiv : — 

Except  those  days  should  be  shortened,  no  flesh  would  be  saved  (xxiv. 
22  ;  Mark  xiii.  20). 

In  John : — 

Jesus  said,  Father  glorify  Thy  Son,  as  Thou  hast  given  Him  power 
over  all  flesh  (xvii.  2). 

In  Isaiah : — 

And  the  glory  of  Jehovah  shall  be  revealed,  and  all  flesh  shall  see  it 
together  (xl.  5). 

And  again  : — 

And  all  flesh  shall  know  that  I  Jehovah  am  thy  Saviour  (xlix.  26). 

1051.  And  the  waters  shall  no  more  becotne  a  flood  to  de- 
stroy all  flesh.     That  this  signifies  that  man's  intellectual  part 
should  no  more  be  able  to  put  on  such  a  persuasion  for  its  de- 
struction as  did  the  last  posterity  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church, 
is  evident  from  what  has  been  frequently  said  and  shown  before 
in  regard  to  the  waters  of  the  flood,  and  also  in  regard  to  those 
before  the  flood  who  perished ;  namely,  that  with  them  not 
only  the  will  part  was  destroyed  and  made  infernal,  but  also 
the  intellectual  part ;  so  that  they  could  not  be  regenerated, 
that  is,  have  a  new  will  formed  in  their  intellectual  part. 

1052.  Verse  16.  And  the  bow  shall  be  in  the  cloud  ;  and  1 
will  see  it,  that  I  may  remember  the  eternal  covenant  between 
God  and  every  living  soul  of  all  flesh  that  is  upon  the  earth. 
"  And  the  bow  shall  be  in  the  cloud,"  signifies  man's  state ; 
"  and  I  will  see  it,"  signifies  that  it  is  such  that  he  can  be 
regenerated;    "that  I  may  remember  the  eternal  covenant," 
signifies  that  the  Lord  can  be  present  with  him  in  charity ; 
"  between  God  and  every  living  soul  of  all  flesh  that  is  upon 
the  earth,"  signifies  with  every  man  with  whom  this  is  pos- 
sible.    These  things  specifically  regard  the  man  who  can  be 
regenerated. 

1053.  And  the  bow  shall  be  in  the  cloud.     That  this  signifies 
man's  state,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  and  shown 

VOL.  I.— 35 


546  GENESIS  [N.  10 

above  concerning  the  bow  in  the  cloud,  namely,  that  a  man  or 
a  soul  in  the  other  life  is  known  among  angels  from  his  sphere, 
and  that  this  sphere,  whenever  it  pleases  the  Lord,  is  repre- 
sented by  colors,  like  those  of  the  rainbow,  in  variety  accord- 
ing to  the  state  of  each  person  relatively  to  faith  in  the  Lord, 
thus  relatively  to  the  goods  and  truths  of  faith.  In  the  other 
life  colors  are  presented  to  view  which  from  their  brightness 
and  resplendence  immeasurably  surpass  the  beauty  of  the  colors 
seen  on  earth;  and  each  color  represents  something  celestial 
and  spiritual.  These  colors  are  from  the  light  of  heaven,  and 
from  the  variegation  of  spiritual  light,  as  said  above.  For 
angels  live  in  light  so  great  that  the  light  of  the  world  is  noth- 
ing in  comparison.  The  light  of  heaven  in  which  angels  live, 
in  comparison  with  the  light  of  the  world,  is  as  the  noonday 
light  of  the  sun  in  comparison  with  candlelight,  which  is  ex- 
tinguished and  becomes  a  nullity  on  the  rising  of  the  sun.  In 
heaven  there  are  both  celestial  light  and  spiritual  light. «  Ce- 
lestial light — to  speak  comparatively— is  like  the  light  of  the 
sun,  and  spiritual  light  is  like  the  light  of  the  moon,  but  with 
every  difference  according  to  the  state  of  the  angel  who  receives 
the  light.  It  is  the  same  with  the  colors,  because  they  are  from 
the  light.  The  Lord  Himself  is  to  the  heaven  of  the  celestial 
angels  a  Sun,  and  to  the  heaven  of  the  spiritual  angels,  a  Moon. 
These  things  will  not  be  credited  by  those  who  have  no  con- 
ception of  the  life  which  souls  live  after  death,  and  yet  they 
are  most  true. 

1054.  And  I  will  see  it.  That  this  signifies  that  he  is  such 
that  he  can  be  regenerated,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  to 
"  see"  any  one,  when  predicated  of  the  Lord,  means  to  know 
his  quality.  For  the  Lord  knows  all  from  eternity,  and  has  no 
need  to  see  what  any  one  is.  When  any  one  is  such  that  he 
can  be  regenerated,  then  it  is  said  of  the  Lord  that  He  "  sees" 
him,  as  also  that  He  "  lifts  up  His  countenance"  upon  him. 
But  when  he  cannot  be  regenerated,  it  is  not  said  that  the 
Lord  sees  him,  or  lifts  up  His  countenance  upon  him,  but  that 
He  "  turns  away  His  eyes,"  or  "  His  face,"  from  him,  although 
it  is  not  the  Lord  who  turns  them  away,  but  the  man.  Hence 
in  the  fourteenth  verse,  where  the  whole  human  race  was  treated 
of,  in  which  there  are  many  who  cannot  be  regenerated,  it  is 


N.  1054]  CHAPTER  IX.   VER.  16  547 

not  said,  when  "  I"  see  the  bow  in  the  cloud,  but  when  the  bow 
"  shall  be  seen"  in  the  cloud.  As  regards  the  Lord,  the  case  is 
the  same  with  "  seeing"  as  it  is  with  "  remembering,"  which  in 
the  internal  sense  signifies  to  have  mercy.  (Concerning  this 
see  above,  n.  840,  1049 ;  and  also  n.  626.) 

1055.  That  I  may  remember  the  eternal  covenant.     That 
this  signifies  that  the  Lord  can  be  present  with  him  in  charity, 
is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  and  shown  about  the  signi- 
fication of  a  "  covenant,"  namely,  that  there  is  no  other  "  eter- 
nal covenant"  than  love  to  the  Lord  and  love  toward  the  neigh- 
bor.    This  is  eternal,  because  from  eternity  to  eternity.     The 
universal  heaven  is  founded  in  love,  and  so  is  universal  nature ; 
for  in  nature  nothing  whatever  is  possible — in  which  there  is 
any  union  and  conjunction,  whether  it  be  animate  or  inanimate 
— that  does  not  derive  its  origin  from  love.     For  every  natural 
thing  comes  into  existence  from  something  spiritual,  and  the 
spiritual  from  the  celestial,  as  said  above.     Hence  love,  or  a 
semblance  of  love,  has  been  implanted  in  all  things  in  general 
and  in  particular ;  with  man  alone  there  is  not  love,  but  the 
contrary,  because  man  has  destroyed  in  himself  the  order  of 
nature.     When  however  he  can  be  regenerated,  or  restored 
again  to  order,  and  can  receive  mutual  love,  then  there  is  "  the 
covenant,"  or  conjunction  by  charity,  that  is  here  treated  of. 

1056.  Between  God  and  every  living  soul  of  all  flesh  that  is 
upon  the  earth.    That  this  signifies  with  every  man  with  whom 
this  is  possible,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said,  namely, 
that  the  subject  here  treated  of  is  those  who  can  be  regen- 
erated.    No  others,  therefore,  are  signified  by  "every  living 
soul  of  all  flesh." 

1057.  Verse  17.  And  God  said  unto  Noah,  This  is  the  sign 
of  the  covenant  which  I  have  established  between  Me  and  all 
flesh  that  is  upon  the  earth.     "  And  God  said  unto  Noah,"  sig- 
nifies that  the  church  should  know  this  ;  "  this  is  the  sign  of 
the  covenant  which  I  have  established  between  Me  and  all 
flesh  that  is  upon  the  earth,"  signifies  that  the  indication  of 
the  presence  of  the  Lord  in  charity  was  not  only  with  the  man 
of  the  church,  but  also  with  the  man  who  is  outside  the  church. 

1058.  And  God  said  unto  Noah.     That  this  signifies  that 
the  church  should  know  this,  is  evident  from  the  series  of 


548  GENESIS  [N.  1058 

tilings  treated  of,  which  does  not  appear  except  from  the  in- 
ternal sense,  in  which  these  things  are  thus  connected :  first, 
the  regenerated  spiritual  man  within  the  church  is  treated  of ; 
second,  every  man,  universally ;  third,  every  man  who  can  be 
regenerated ;  and  this  is  the  conclusion,  namely,  that  the  church 
should  know  this.  That  "  Noah"  is  the  church  was  shown  be- 
fore, and  here  indeed  he  is  the  spiritual  church  in  general, 
because  Noah  alone  is  named.  What  the  church  should  know, 
now  follows. 

1059.  This  is  the  sign  of  the  covenant  which  I  have  estab- 
lished between  Me  and  all  flesh  that  'is  upon  the  earth.  That 
this  signifies  that  the  indication  of  the  Lord's  presence  in 
charity  was  not  only  with  the  man  of  the  church,  but  also  with 
the  man  outside  the  church,  is  evident  from  the  signification 
of  "  all  flesh,"  as  being  every  man,  and  consequently  the  whole 
human  race.  That  the  whole  human  race  is  meant,  both  within 
the  church  and  without  the  church,  is  evident  not  only  from 
its  being  said  "  all  flesh,"  but  also  from  its  not  being  said  as 
before,  "  every  living  soul  of  all  flesh ;"  and  this  is  made  still 
plainer  from  its  being  added,  "  that  is  upon  the  earth."  That 
with  those  who  are  outside  the  church,  and  are  called  Gentiles, 
the  Lord  is  equally  present  in  charity  as  with  those  who  are 
within  the  church,  you  may  see  stated  above  (n.  932,  1032). 
He  is  even  more  present,  for  there  is  not  so  great  a  cloud  in 
their  intellectual  part  as  there  is  in  general  with  those  who  are 
called  Christians.  For  the  Gentiles  are  ignorant  of  the  Word, 
nor  do  they  know  what  the  Lord  is,  consequently  not  what  the 
truth  of  faith  is ;  and  therefore  they  cannot  be  against  the 
Lord  and  against  the  truth  of  faith.  Hence  their  "  cloud"  is 
not  against  the  Lord  and  the  truth  of  faith  ;  and  such  a  cloud 
may  be  easily  dispersed  when  they  are  enlightened.  But  the 
cloud  of  Christians  is  against  the  Lord  and  against  the  truths 
of  faith,  and  this  cloud  is  so  dense  as  to  be  darkness.  And 
when  there  is  hatred  in  place  of  charity,  then  it  is  thick  dark- 
ness. Still  darker  is  it  with  those  who  profane  the  truths 
of  faith,  which  the  Gentiles  cannot  do  because  they  live  in 
ignorance  of  the  truth  of  faith.  No  one  can  profane  that  of 
which  he  does  not  know  the  nature  or  the  existence.  This  is 
why  more  of  the  Gentiles  are  saved  than  of  Christians,  in 


N.  1059]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  17  549 

accordance  with  what  the  Lord  also  said  in  Luke  (xiii.  23,  28- 
30),  tesides  that  their  children  all  belong  to  the  Lord's  king- 
dom (Matt,  xviii.  10,  14 ;  xix.  14 ;  Luke  xviii.  16). 

1060.  Verse  18.  And  the  sons  of  Noah,  that  went  forth  from, 
the  ark,  were  Shem,  and  Hani,  and  Japheth  ;  and  Ham  is  the 
father  of  Canaan.    "  The  sons  of  Noah,  that  went  forth  from 
the  ark,"  signify  those  who  constituted  the  Ancient  Church ; 
"  that  went  forth  from  the  ark,"  signifies  those  who  are  regen- 
erate ;  "  Shem,"  signifies  the  internal  church ;  "  Ham,"  signi- 
fies the  church  corrupted ;  "  Japheth,"  signifies  the  external 
church;  "and  Ham  is  the  father  of  Canaan,"  signifies  that 
from  the  corrupted  church  sprang  worship  in  externals  with 
out  internals,  which  worship  is  signified  by  "  Canaan." 

1061.  And  the  sons  of  Noah,  that  went  forth  from  the  ark. 
That  these  signify  those  who  constituted  the  Ancient  Church, 
and  that  they  "  that  went  forth  from  the  ark"  are  those  who 
are  regenerate,  is  evident  from  all  that  follow*s ;  from  which 
it  will  be  plain  how  the  case  is. 

1062.  That  "  Shem"  signifies  the  internal  church,  "  Ham" 
the  church  corrupted,  and  "  Japheth"  the  external  church,  is 
also  evident  from  what  follows,  where  their  quality  is  described. 
As  in  every  church,  so  in  the  Ancient  there  were  men  who 
were  internal,  men  who  were  internal  and  corrupted,  and  men 
who  were  external.     Those  who  are  internal  are  those  who 
make  charity  the  principal*  of  their  faith ;  those  who  are  inter- 
nal and  corrupted  make  faith  without  charity  the  principal  of 
*heir  faith ;  and  those  who  are  external  think  little  about  the 
internal  man,  but  still  perform  works  of  charity  and  sacredly 
observe  the  rites  of  the  church.     Besides  these  three  kinds  of 
men  there  are  no  others  who  are  to  be  called  men  of  the  spirit- 
ual church ;  and  because  they  were  all  men  of  the  church,  they 
are  said  to  have  "  gone  forth  from  the  ark."     Those  in  the  An- 
cient Church  who  were  internal  men,  that  is,  who  made  charity 
the  principal  of  their  faith,  were  called  "  Shem ;"  those  who 
were  internal  and  corrupted,  who  made  faith  without  charity 
the  principal,  were  called  "  Ham ;"  while  those  who  were  ex- 
ternal and  thought  little  about  the  internal  man,  but  still  per- 
formed works  of  charity  and  sacredly  observed  the  rites  of  the 

*As  distinguished  from  the  instrumental.     [REVISEB.] 


550  GENESIS  [N.  1062 

church,  were  called  "  Japheth."  The  nature  of  each  will  be 
seen  from  the  particulars  in  what  follows. 

1063.  And  Ham  is  the  father  of  Canaan.     That  this  sig- 
nifies that  from  the  corrupted  church  sprang  worship  in  ex- 
ternals   without    internals,    which    worship    is    signified   by 
"  Canaan,"  is  likewise  evident  from  what  follows  ;  for  what  is 
contained  in  this  verse  is  premised  to  what  is  in  the  following 
verses.     That  "  Ham"  signifies  the  corrupted  church,  that  is, 
those  who  make  faith  separate  from  charity  the  principal  of 
their  faith,  is  evident  in  David : — 

He  smote  all  the  firstborn  in  Egypt,  the  beginning  of  strength,  in  the 
tents  of  Ham  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  51). 

By  "the  firstborn  in  Egypt"  was  represented  faith  without 
charity.  That  faith  is  called  the  firstborn  of  the  church  may 
be  seen  above  (n.  352,  367) ;  and  that  faith  is  thence  called 
the  "  beginnirfg  of  strength,"  as  here  in  David,  may  be  seen 
in  Genesis  (xlix.  3),  in  what  is  said  of  Reuben,  who  repre- 
sented faith  because  he  was  the  firstborn  of  Jacob,  and  is 
called  the  "  beginning  of  strength."  The  "  tents  of  Ham"  are 
the  worship  therefrom.  That  "  tents"  signify  worship  may 
be  seen  above  (n.  414).  Egypt  is  hence  called  the  "  land  of 
Ham"  (Ps.  cv.  23,  27 ;  cvi.  22).  Such  men,  who  in  the  An- 
cient Church  were  called  "  Ham,"  because  they  lived  a  life  of 
all  cupidities,  merely  prating  that  they  could  be  saved  by  faith 
howsoever  they  lived,  appeared  to  the  ancient  people  black 
from  the  heat  of  cupidities,  and  from  this  were  called  "  Ham." 
Ham  is  said  to  be  the  "  father  of  Canaan"  for  the  reason  that 
such  men  care  nothing  how  a  man  lives,  provided  he  frequents 
sacred  rites — for  they  do  still  desire  some  worship.  But  ex- 
ternal worship  is  the  only  worship  for  them ;  internal  worship, 
which  belongs  solely  to  charity,  they  reject.  Hence  Ham  is 
said  to  be  "  the  father  of  Canaan." 

1064.  Verse  19.   These   three  were  the  sons  of  Noah ;  and 
from  these  was  the  whole  earth  overspread.     "  These  three  were 
the  sons  of  Noah,"  signify  these  three  kinds  of  doctrines,  which 
are  those  of  churches  in  general;  "and  from  these  was  the 
whole  earth  overspread,"  signifies  that  from  them  have  been 
derived  all  doctrines,  both  true  and  false. 


N.  1065J  CHAPTER    IX.  VER.  19  551 

1065.  These  three  were  the  sons  of  Noah.     That  these  signify 
these  three  kinds  of  doctrines,  which  are  those  of  churches  in 
general,  has  been  shown  just  above.     There  are   indeed  in- 
numerable less  universal  kinds  of  doctrines,  but  there  are  not 
more  kinds  that  are  universal.     Those  who  do  not  acknowl- 
edge charity  and  faith,  nor  external  worship,  are   not  of  any 
church.     They  are  not  treated  of  here,  because  it  is  the  church 
that  is  treated  of. 

1066.  And  from  these  ivas  the  ivhole  earth  overspread.    That 
this  signifies  that  from  them  were  derived  all  doctrines,  both 
true  and  false,  is   evident  from  the  signification  of  "  earth." 
"  Earth,"  or  "  land,"  in  the  Word,  is  used  with  various  mean- 
ings.    In  the  universal  sense  it  denotes  the  place  or  region 
where  the  church  is,  or  where  it  has  been,  as  the  land  of  Ca- 
naan, the  land  of  Judah,  the  land  of  Israel.     Thus  it  denotes 
universally  every  one  that  belongs  to  the   church,  since  the 
land  is  predicated  of  the  man  who  is  in  it,  as  we  know  in  com- 
mon speech.     In  ancient  times  therefore  when  men  spoke  of 
the  "  whole  earth,"  they  did  not  mean  the  whole  globe,  but  only 
the  land  where  the  church  was,  and  thus  the  church  itself ;  as 
is  evident   from   the  following  passages    in   the  Word.     In 
Isaiah : — 

Behold,  Jehovah  maketh  the  earth  empty  ;  the  earth  shall  be  utterly 
emptied  ;  the  earth  shall  mourn  and  be  confounded  ;  the  earth  also  shall 
be  polluted  under  the  inhabitants  thereof  ;  therefore  shall  the  curse  de- 
vour the  earth  ;  therefore  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  shall  be  burned, 
and  man  shall  be  left  feeble.  The  cataracts  from  on  high  are  opened, 
and  the  foundations  of  the  earth  do  shake  ;  the  earth  is  utterly  broken  ; 
the  earth  is  clean  dissolved  ;  the  earth  is  moved  exceedingly  ;  the  earth 
reeling  shall  reel  like  a  drunken  man,  and  shall  be  moved  to  and  fro  like 
a  hut,  and  the  transgression  thereof  shall  be  heavy  upon  it,  and  it  shall 
fall,  and  not  rise  again  (xxiv.  1,  3-6,  18-20). 

The  "  earth"  here  denotes  the  people  who  are  in  it,  and  in  fact 
the  people  of  the  clmrch,  thus  the  church  itself,  and  the  vas- 
tated  things  of  the  church,  of  which  when  vastated  it  is  said 
that  they  are  "  emptied,"  "  moved  exceedingly,"  "  reel  like  a 
drunken  man,"  "move  to  and  fro,"  and  "fall,  not  to  rise 
again."  [2]  That  by  "  earth"  or  "  land"  is  signified  man,  con- 
sequently the  church,  which  is  of  man,  may  be  seen  in  Mala- 
chi : — . 


552  GENESIS  [N.  1066 

All  nations  shall  call  you  happy  ;  for  ye  shall  be  a  delightsome  land 
(iii.  12). 

That  "  earth"  denotes  the  church  is  seen  in  Isaiah : — 
Have  ye  not  understood  the  foundations  of  the  earth  ?  (xl.  21), 

where  the  "  foundations  of  the  earth"  denote  the  foundations 
of  the  church.  Again  : — 

For,  behold,  I  create  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth  (Ixv.  17  ;  Ixvi. 
22  ;  Rev.  xxi.  1). 

"  New  heavens  and  a  new  earth"  denote  the  kingdom  of  the 
Lord  and  the  church.  In  Zechariah : — 

Jehovah,  who  stretcheth  forth  the  heavens,  and  layeth  the  foundation 
of  the  earth,  and  formeth  the  spirit  of  man  within  him  (xii.  1), 

meaning  the  church.     Also,  as  before,  in  Genesis : — 

In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth  (5.  1). 

And  the  heavens  and  the  earth  were  finished  (ii.  1). 

These  are  the  nativities  of  the  heavens  and  of  the  earth  (ii.  4), 

everywhere  denoting  the  church  created,  formed,  and  made. 
In  Joel : — 

The  earth  quaked  before  Him,  the  heavens  trembled,  the  sun  and  the 
moon  were  darkened  (ii.  10), 

meaning  the  church  and  the  things  of  the  church ;  when  these 
are  vastated,  "  heaven  and  earth"  are  said  to  quake,  and  the 
"  sun  and  moon"  to  grow  dark,  that  is,  love  and  faith.  [3] 
In  Jeremiah : — 

I  beheld  the  earth,  and  lo  a  void  and  emptiness  ;  and  the  heavens,  and 
they  had  no  light  (iv.  23). 

Here  the  "  earth"  plainly  denotes  the  man  in  whom  there  is 
not  anything  of  the  church.  Again  : — 

The  whole  earth  shall  be  desolate  ;  yet  will  I  not  make  a  full  consum- 
mation ;  for  this  shall  the  earth  mourn,  and  the  heavens  above  be  black 
(iv.  27,  28). 

Here  also  the  church  is  meant,  whose  exteriors  are  the 
"  earth,"  and  the  interiors  the  "  heavens,"  of  which  it  is  said 
that  they  shall  be  black,  with  no  light  in  them,  when  there  is 
no  longer  wisdom  of  good  and  intelligence  of  truth.  Then 
the  earth  also  is  empty  and  void ;  and  in  like  manner  the  man 
of  the  church  who  should  be  a  church.  That  by  the  "  whole 


N.  1066]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  19  553 

earth"  is  meant  in  other  places  also  only  the  church,  may  be 
seen  in  Daniel : — 

The  fourth  beast  shall  be  a  fourth  kingdom  upon  earth,  which  shall 
be  diverse  from  all  the  kingdoms,  and  shall  devour  the  whole  earth,  and 
shall  tread  it  down,  and  break  it  in  pieces  (vii.  23) ; 

the  "  whole  earth"  denotes  the  church  and  what  is  of  the 
church  ;  for  the  Word  does  not  treat,  like  profane  writings,  of 
monarchial  sovereignties,  but  of  the  holy  things  and  states  of 
the  church,  which  are  here  signified  by  the  "  kingdoms  of  the 
earth."  [4]  In  Jeremiah : — 

A  great  tempest  shall  be  raised  up  from  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth  ;  and  the  slain  of  Jehovah  shall  be  at  that  day  from  one  end  of  the 
earth  even  unto  the  other  end  of  the  earth  (xxv.  32,  33)  ; 

here  "  from  one  end  c2  the  earth  even  unto  the  other  end  of 
the  earth,"  means  the  church  and  everything  that  is  of  the 
church.  In  Isaiah  : — 

The  whole  earth  is  at  rest  and  is  quiet ;  they  break  forth  into  singing 
(xiv.  7), 

where  the  "  whole  earth"  denotes  the  church.     In  Ezekiel : — 
When  the  whole  earth  rejoiceth  (xxxv.  14), 

where  also  the  "whole  earth"  denotes  the  church.  In 
Isaiah : — 

I  have  sworn  that  the  waters  of  Noah  should  no  more  go  over  the 
earth  (liv.  9), 

where  the  "  earth"  denotes  the  church,  because  the  church  is 
there  treated  of.  [5]  Because  "  land"  or  "  earth"  in  the 
Word  signifies  the  church,  it  signifies  also  what  is  not  the 
church,  for  every  such  word  has  contrary  or  opposite  mean 
ings ;  as  for  example  the  various  lands  of  the  Gentiles ;  in 
general  all  lands  outside  the  land  of  Canaan.  "  Land"  is 
therefore  taken  also  for  the  people  and  for  the  man  outside 
the  church,  and  hence  for  the  external  man,  for  his  will,  his 
Own,  and  so  forth.  The  term  is  rarely  used  in  the  Word 
for  the  whole  world,  except  when  the  whole  human  race  is 
meant  as  regards  their  state,  whether  of  the  church  or  not  of 
the  church.  And  because  the  earth  is  the  containant  of  the 
ground,  which  also  signifies  the  church,  and  the  ground  is  the 
containant  of  the  field,  the  word  "  earth"  signifies,  because  it 


554  GENESIS  O  10G6 

involves,  many  things  ;  and  what  it  signifies  is  evident  from 
the  subject  treated  of,  which  is  that  of  which  the  term  is  pred- 
icated. From  all  this  it  is  evident  that  by  the  "  whole  earth" 
that  was  overspread  by  the  sons  of  Noah,  is  not  signified  the 
whole  world,  or  the  whole  human  race,  but  all  the  doctrines 
both  true  and  false  that  were  of  the  churches. 

1067.  Verse  20.  And  Noah  bey  an  to  be  a  man  of  the  ground, 
and  he  planted  a  vineyard.     "  And  Xoah  began  to  be  a  man  of 
the  ground,"  signifies,  in  general,  man  instructed  from  the  doc- 
trinal things  of  faith ;  "  and  he  planted  a  vineyard,"  signifies  a 
church  therefrom ;  a  "  vineyard,"  is  the  spiritual  church. 

1068.  And  Noah  began  to  be  a  man  of  the  ground.     Tha,u 
this   signifies   in  general  man  instructed  from  the  doctrinal 
things  of  faith,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  ground" 
(concerning  which  above,  n.  268,  566),  namely,  the  man  of  the 
church,  or  what  is  the  same,  the  church ;  for  that  there  may 
be  a  church,  the  man  must  be  a  church.     The  church  is  called 
"  ground"  because  it  receives  the  seeds  of  faith,  or  the  truths 
and  goods  of  faith.     "  Ground"  is  distinguished  from  "  earth" 
— which,  as  shown,  also  signifies  the  church — as  faith  is  distin- 
guished from  charity.     Just  as  charity  is  the  containant  of 
faith,  so  is  "  earth"  the  containant  of  "  ground."     When  there- 
fore the  church  is  treated  of  in  general,  it  is  called  "  earth ;" 
and  when  specifically,  it  is  called  "  ground,"  as  in  this  verse ; 
for  the  general  is  the  complex  of  the  things  derived  from  it. 
The  doctrinals  possessed  by  the  man  of  the  Ancient  Church 
were,  as  before  said,  from  the  revelations  and  perceptions  of 
the  Most  Ancient  Church,  which  had  been  preserved ;  and  in 
these  they  had  faith  as  at  this  day  we  have  in  the  Word.    These 
doctrinal  things  were  their  Word.     Noah's  beginning  to  be  "  a 
man  of  the  ground,"  signifies  therefore  man  instructed  in  the 
doctrinals  of  faith. 

1069.  And  he  planted  a  vineyard.     That  this  signifies  a 
church   therefrom,  and   that  a  "vineyard"    is  the    spiritual 
church,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  a  "  vineyard."     In 
the  Word  churches  are  frequently  described  as  "  gardens,"  and 
also  as  the  "  trees  of  a  garden,"  and  are  even  so  named.     This 
is  from  their  fruits,  which  signify  the  things  belonging  to  love 
and  charity  ;  and  therefore  it  is  said  that  a  man  is  "  known  by 


N.  1069]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  20  555 

his  fruit."  The  comparing  of  churches  to  "  gardens,"  "  trees,'"' 
and  "  fruits,"  originates  from  representations  in  heaven,  where 
gardens  of  inexpressible  beauty  are  sometimes  presented  to 
view,  in  accordance  with  the  spheres  of  the  faith.  From  the 
same  origin  the  celestial  church  was  described  by  the  Paradisal 
Garden,  in  which  were  trees  of  every  kind ;  and  by  the  "  trees" 
of  that  garden  were  signified  the  perceptions  of  that  church, 
and  by  the  "  fruits"  the  goods  of  love  of  every  kind.  But  the 
Ancient  Church,  being  spiritual,  is  described  by  a  "  vineyard," 
from  its  fruits,  which  are  grapes,  and  which  represent  and  sig- 
nify the  works  of  charity.  [2]  This  is  clearly  evident  from 
many  passages  of  the  Word,  as  in  Isaiah : — 

I  will  sing  for  My  beloved  a  song  of  My  beloved  touching  his  vine- 
yard :  My  beloved  had  a  vineyard  in  a  horn  of  the  son  of  oil ;  and  he 
made  a  hedge  about  it,  and  fenced  it  with  stones,  and  planted  it  with  the 
choicest  vine,  and  built  a  tower  in  the  midst  of  it,  and  also  hewed  out  a 
wine-press  therein  ;  and  he  looked  that  it  should  bring  forth  grapes,  and 
it  brought  forth  wild  grapes  ;  and  now,  O  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  and 
men  of  Judah,  judge,  I  pray  you,  betwixt  Me  and  My  vineyard  :  the  vine- 
yard of  Jehovah  of  armies  is  the  house  of  Israel  (v.  1-3,  7). 

Here  the  "  vineyard"  signifies  the  Ancient  Church,  thus  the 
spiritual  church,  and  it  is  plainly  said  to  be  the  house  of  Israel ; 
for  by  "  Israel"  in  the  Word  is  signified  the  spiritual  church, 
and  by  "  Judah"  the  celestial  church.  In  Jeremiah  : — 

Again  will  I  build  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  built,  0  virgin  of  Israel : 
again  shalt  thou  deck  thy  timbrels,  and  shalt  go  forth  in  the  dance  of 
them  that  make  merry  ;  again  shalt  thou  plant  vineyards  upon  the  moun- 
tains of  Samaria  (xxxi.  4,  5), 

where  "  vineyards"  denote  the  spiritual  church ;  and  the  sub- 
ject is  Israel,  by  whom  is  signified  the  spiritual  church,  as  just 
said.  [3]  In  Ezekiel : — 

When  I  shall  have  gathered  the  house  of  Israel  from  the  peoples,  they 
shall  dwell  upon  the  land  in  confidence,  and  they  shall  build  houses,  and 
plant  vineyards  (xxviii.  25,  26). 

Here  a  "  vineyard"  is  the  spiritual  clrarch,  or  "  Israel ;"  and 
"  to  plant  vineyards"  is  to  be  instructed  in  the  truths  and  goods 
of  faith.  In  Amos : — 

I  have  smitten  you  with  blasting  and  mildew  ;  the  multitude  of  your 
gardens  and  your  vineyards  and  your  fig-trees  and  your  oliveyards  hath 
tne  palmer-worm  devoured  :  thus  will  I  do  unto  thee,  0  Israel  (iv.  9,  12) 


656  GENESIS  [N.  1069 

"  Gardens"  here  denote  the  things  of  the  church,  "  vineyards" 
the  spiritual  things  of  the  church,  "  fig-trees"  the  natural  things, 
"  oliveyards"  the  celestial  things  ;  thus  "  vineyards"  denote  the 
things  of  the  spiritual  church,  or  Israel.  Again  : — 

I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  My  people  Israel,  and  they  shall 
build  the  waste  cities,  and  inhabit  them  ;  and  they  shall  plant  vineyards, 
and  drink  the  wine  thereof ;  they  shall  also  make  gardens,  and  eat  the 
fruit  of  them  (ix.  14). 

"  Planting  vineyards"  denotes  the  planting  of  the  spiritual 
church ;  thus  a  "  vineyard"  means  the  spiritual  church,  or  Israel. 
[4]  As  a  "vineyard"  signifies  the  spiritual  church,  so  also 
does  a  "  vine ;"  for  a  vine  is  a  part  of  a  vineyard ;  so  that  they 
are  as  the  church  and  a  man  of  the  church,  and  the  significa- 
tion is  the  same.  In  Jeremiah  : — 

Is  Israel  a  servant  ?  if  he  was  born  of  the  house,  why  is  he  become  a 
prey  ?  I  had  planted  thee  a  wholly  noble  vine,  a  seed  of  truth  ;  how 
then  art  thou  turned  into  the  averted  branches  of  a  strange  vine  unto 
Me  ?  (ii.  14,  21), 

where  a  "  vine"  denotes  the  spiritual  church,  or  "  Israel."  In 
Ezekiel : — 

Take  thou  up  a  lamentation  for  the  princes  of  Israel ;  thy  mother  was 
like  a  vine,  in  thy  likeness,  planted  by  the  waters,  fruitful  and  full  of 
leaves  by  reason  of  many  waters  (xix.  1,  10). 

A  "  vine"  here  denotes  the  Ancient  Spiritual  Church,  which  is 
the  "mother;"  thus  "Israel,"  which  is  therefore  said  to  be 
"  in  thy  likeness."  In  Hosea : — 

Israel  is  an  empty  vine,  which  putteth  forth  fruit  like  himself  (x.  1). 

A  "  vine"  denotes  the  spiritual  church,  or  "  Israel,"  here  deso- 
lated. Again : — 

0  Israel,  return  unto  Jehovah  thy  God  ;  I  will  be  as  the  dew  unto 
Israel ;  they  that  dwell  in  his  shadow  shall  return  ;  they  shall  revive  the 
corn,  and  blossom  as  the  vine  ;  his  memory  shall  be  as  the  wine  of 
Lebanon  (xiv.  1,  5,  7), 

where  the  "  vine"  denotes  the  spiritual  church,  or  "  Israel." 
In  Moses : — 

Until  Shiloh  come  ;  binding  His  young  ass  to  the  vine,  and  His  ass's 
colt  unto  the  choice  vine  (xlix.  10,  11). 

This  is  a  prophecy  of  the  Lord ;  the  "  vine"  and  the  "  choice 
vine"  denote  spiritual  churches.  [5]  The  Lord's  parables  of 


N.  1069]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  20  557 

the  laborers  in  the  vineyards  in  like  manner  signified  spiritual 
churches  (Matt.  xx.  1-16 ;  xxi.  33-44 ;  Mark  xii.  1-12 ;  Luke 
xx.  9-16).  Since  the  "  vine"  signifies  the  spiritual  church,  and 
the  primary  thing  of  the  spiritual  church  is  charity,  in  which 
the  Lord  is  present,  and  by  means  of  which  He  conjoins  Himself 
with  man,  and  Himself  alone  works  every  good,  therefore  the 
Lord  compares  Himself  to  a  vine,  and  describes  the  man  of  the 
church,  or  the  spiritual  church,  in  these  words,  in  John : — 

I  am  the  true  vine  and  My  Father  is  the  husbandman  ;  every  branch 
in  Me  that  beareth  not  fruit  He  taketh  away  ;  and  every  branch  that 
beareth  fruit,  He  will  prune  it,  that  it  may  bear  more  fruit ;  abide  in  Me, 
and  I  in  you  ;  as  the  branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself,  except  it  abide  in 
the  vine,  so  neither  can  ye,  except  ye  abide  in  Me  ;  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are 
the  branches ;  he  that  abideth  in  Me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same  beareth 
much  fruit ;  for  without  Me  ye  can  do  nothing ;  this  is  My  command- 
ment, that  ye  love  one  another,  even  as  I  have  loved  you  (xv.  1-5,  12)  ; 

from  these  words  it  is  evident  what  the  spiritual  church  is. 

1070.  Verse  21.  And  he  drank  of  the  wine  and  was  drunken  ; 
and  he  was  uncovered  in  the  midst  of  his  tent.     "  And  he  drank 
of  the  wine,"  signifies  that  he  desired  to  investigate  the  things 
which  are  of  faith ;  "  and  was  drunken,"  signifies  that  he  there- 
by fell  into  errors ;  "  and  he  was  uncovered  in  the  midst  of  his 
tent,"  signifies  the  consequent  perverted  things ;  the  "  midst 
of  a  tent,"  is  the  principal  of  faith. 

1071.  And  he  drank  of  the  wine.     That  this  signifies  that 
he  desired  to  investigate  the  things  which  are  of  faith,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  signification  of  "  wine."     The  "  vineyard,"  or  the 
"  vine,"  as  has  been  shown,  is  the  spiritual  church,  or  the  man 
of  the  spiritual  church ;  the  "  grape,"  "  bunches,"  and  "  clusters" 
are  its  fruit,  and  signify  charity  and  what  is  of  charity.     But 
"  wine"  signifies  the  faith  thence  derived,  and  all  things  that 
belong  to  it.     Thus  the  "  grape"  is  the  celestial  of  that  church, 
and  the  "  wine"  is  the  spiritual  of  that  church.     The  former, 
or  the  celestial,  is  of  the  will,  as  has  been  said  before ;  the  latter, 
or  the  spiritual,  is  of  the  understanding.     That  his  "  drinking 
of  the  wine"  signifies  that  he  desired  to  investigate  the  things 
of  faith,  and  this  by  reasonings,  is  evident  from  his  becoming 
drunken,  that  is,  fallen  into  errors.     For  the  man  of  this  church 
had  no  perception,  as  had  the  man  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church, 


558  GENESIS  [N.  1071 

but  had  to  learn  what  was  good  and  true  from  the  doctrinal 
things  of  faith  collected  and  preserved  from  the  perception  of 
the  Most  Ancient  Church,  which  doctrinal  things  were  the 
Word  of  the  Ancient  Church.  Like  the  Word,  the  doctrinal 
things  of  faith  were  in  many  cases  such  as  without  perception 
could  not  be  believed ;  for  spiritual  and  celestial  things  infinitely 
transcend  human  apprehension,  and  hence  arises  reasoning. 
But  he  who  will  not  believe  them  until  he  apprehends  them, 
can  never  believe,  as  has  been  often  shown  before.  (See  n. 
128-130,  195,  196,  215,  232,  233.)  [2]  That  «  grapes"  in  the 
Word  signify  charity  and  what  is  of  charity,  and  that  "wine" 
signifies  the  faith  thence  derived  and  the  things  that  belong  to 
it,  is  evident  from  the  following  passages.  In  Isaiah : — 

My  beloved  had  a  vineyard  in  a  horn  of  the  son  of  oil,  and  he  looked 
that  it  should  bring  forth  grapes,  and  it  brought  forth  wild  grapes  (v. 
1,  2,  4), 

where  "  grapes"  denote  charity  and  its  fruits.    In  Jeremiah  : — 

Gathering  I  will  gather  them,  saith  Jehovah  ;  there  shall  be  no  grapes 
on  the  vine,  nor  figs  on  the  fig-tree  (viii.  13), 

where  the  "vine"  denotes  the  spiritual  church;  "grapes" 
charity.  In  Hosea : — 

I  found  Israel  like  grapes  in  the  wilderness  ;  I  saw  your  fathers  as  the 
first-ripe  in  the  fig-tree,  at  the  beginning  (ix.  10). 

"  Israel"  denotes  the  Ancient  Church ;  "  grapes,"  its  being  en- 
dued with  charity.  The  sense  is  opposite  when  "  Israel"  denotes 
the  sons  of  Jacob.  In  Micah : — 

There  is  no  cluster  to  eat ;  my  soul  desireth  the  first-ripe  fig.  The  holy 
man  is  perished  out  of  the  earth,  and  there  is  none  upright  among  men 
(vii.  1). 

"  Cluster"  denotes  charity,  or  what  is  holy ;  "  first-ripe  fig" 
faith,  or  what  is  right.  [3]  In  Isaiah : — 

Thus  saith  Jehovah,  As  the  new  wine  is  found  in  the  cluster,  and  one 
saith,  Destroy  it  not,  for  a  blessing  is  in  it  (Ixv.  8)  ; 

where  "  cluster"  denotes  charity,  and  "  new  wine"  the  goods 
of  charity  and  the  truths  thence  derived.  In  Moses : — 

He  washed  His  garment  in  wine,  and  His  vesture  in  the  blood  of  grapes 
(Gen.  xlix,  11) ; 


N.  1071]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  21  559 

a  prophecy  relating  to  the  Lord.  "  Wine"  denotes  the  spiritual 
from  the  celestial,  the  "  blood  of  grapes"  the  celestial  relatively 
to  spiritual  churches.  Thus  "grapes"  denote  charity  itself, 
•'  wine"  faith  itself.  In  John  : — 

The  angel  said,  Put  forth  thy  sharp  sickle,  and  gather  the  clusters  of 
the  vine  of  the  earth  ;  for  her  grapes  are  fully  ripe  (Rev.  xiv.  18). 

Here  the  subject  is  the  last  times  when  there  is  no  faith,  that 
is,  when  there  is  no  charity;  for  faith  is  no  other  than  of 
charity,  and  essentially  is  charity  itself ;  so  that  when  it  is 
said  that  there  is  no  longer  any  faith,  as  in  the  last  times,  it 
is  meant  that  there  is  no  charity.  [4]  As  "  grapes"  signify 
charity,  so  "  wine"  signifies  the  faith  thence  derived,  for  wine 
is  from  grapes.  This  will  be  evident  from  the  passages 
already  cited  about  the  vineyard  and  the  vine,  and  also  from 
the  following.  In  Isaiah : — 

Gladness  is  taken  away,  and  exultation,  from  Carmel ;  and  in  the  vine- 
yards there  shall  be  no  singing,  neither  joyful  noise  ;  no  treader  shall 
tread  out  wine  in  the  presses  ;  I  have  made  the  vintage  shout  to  cease 
(xvi.  10), 

meaning  that  the  spiritual  church,  which  is  "  Carmel,"  is  vas- 
tated ;  "  not  treading  out  wine  in  the  presses,"  means  that 
there  are  no  longer  any  who  are  in  faith.  Again  : — 

The  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  burned,  and  man  shall  be  left  feeble  ; 
the  new  wine  shall  mourn,  the  vine  shall  languish  ;  they  shall  not  drink 
wine  with  a  song ;  strong  drink  shall  be  bitter  to  them  that  drink  it ; 
there  is  a  crying  in  the  streets  because  of  the  wine  (xxiv.  6,  7,  9,  11). 

The  subject  here  is  the  vastated  church,  and  "  wine"  denotes 
the  truths  of  faith,  there  held  to  be  of  no  value.  In  Jere- 
miah : — 

They  will  say  to  their  mothers,  Where  is  the  corn  and  the  wine  ?  when 
they  faint  as  one  wounded  in  the  streets  of  the  city  (Lam.  ii.  12). 

"  Where  is  the  corn  and  the  wine,"  signifies  where  is  love  and 
faith ;  the  "  streets  of  the  city,"  signify  here,  as  elsewhere  in 
the  Word,  truths  ;  "  being  wounded  in  them,"  signifies  not  to 
know  what  the  truths  of  faith  are.  [5]  In  Amos  : — 

I  will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  My  people  Israel,  and  they  shall 
build  the  waste  cities  and  inhabit  them  ;  and  they  shall  plant  vineyards, 
and  drint  the  wine  thereof  (ix.  14). 


560  GENESIS  [N.  1071 

This  is  said  of  the  spiritual  church,  or  "Israel,"  of  which 
planting  vineyards  and  drinking  the  wine  thereof  is  predi- 
cated, when  it  becomes  such  as  to  hare  faith  from  charity. 
In  Zephaniah : — 

They  shall  build  houses,  but  shall  not  inhabit  them ;  and  they  shall 
plant  vineyards,  but  shall  not  drink  the  wine  thereof  (i.  13  ;  Amos  v.  11). 

Here  is  described  the  opposite  condition,  when  the  spiritual 
church  is  vastated.  In  Zechariah : — 

They  shall  be  as  the  mighty  Ephraim,  and  their  heart  shall  rejoice  as 
through  wine  ;  yea,  their  sons  shall  see  it  and  be  glad  (x.  7)  ; 

said  of  the  house  of  Judah,  that  it  should  be  such  from  the 
goods  and  truths  of  faith.  In  John : — 

That  they  were  not  to  hurt  the  oil  and  the  wine  (Rev.  vi.  6), 

meant  that  no  injury  is  to  be  done  to  the  celestial  and  the 
spiritual,  or  to  what  is  of  love  and  faith.  [6]  As  "  wine"  sig- 
nified faith  in  the  Lord,  in  the  Jewish  Church  faith  was  repre- 
sented in  the  sacrifices  by  a  libation  of  wine  (Num.  xv.  2-15 ; 
xxviii.  11-15,  18  to  end;  xxix.  7  to  end;  Lev.  xxiii.  12,  13; 
Exod.  xxix.  40).  Wherefore  it  is  said  in  Hosea : — 

The  threshing-floor  and  the  wine-press  shall  not  feed  them,  and  the  new 
wine  shall  deceive  therein  ;  they  shall  not  dwell  in  the  land  of  Jehovah  ; 
but  Ephraim  shall  return  to  Egypt,  and  they  shall  eat  what  is  unclean  in 
Assyria  ;  they  shall  not  pour  out  wine  to  Jehovah,  neither  shall  [their 
libations]  be  pleasing  to  Him  (ix.  2-4). 

Here  the  subject  is  Israel,  or  the  spiritual  church,  and  those 
in  it  who  pervert  and  defile  the  holy  and  true  things  of  faith 
by  desiring  to  investigate  them  by  means  of  knowledges  and 
reasonings.  "  Egypt"  is  memory-knowledge,  "  Assyria"  reason- 
ing, "  Ephraim"  one  who  reasons. 

1072.  And  was  drunken.  That  this  signifies  that  he  thereby 
fell  into  errors,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  a  "  drunk- 
ard" in  the  Word.  They  are  called  "  drunkards"  who  believe 
nothing  but  what  they  apprehend,  and  for  this  reason  search 
into  the  mysteries  of  faith.  And  because  this  is  done  by 
means  of  sensuous  things,  either  of  memory  or  of  philosophy, 
man  being  what  he  is,  cannot  but  fall  thereby  into  errors.  For 
man's  thought  is  merely  earthly,  corporeal,  and  material,  be- 
cause it  is  from  earthly,  corporeal,  and  material  things,  which 


N.  1072]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  21  561 

cling  constantly  to  it,  and  in  which  the  ideas  of  his  thought 
are  based  and  terminated.  To  think  and  reason  therefore 
from  these  concerning  Divine  things,  is  to  bring  one's  self  into 
errors  and  perversions ;  and  it  is  as  impossible  to  procure  faith 
in  this  way  as  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle. 
The  error  and  insanity  from  this  source  are  called  in  the  Word 
"  drunkenness."  Indeed  the  souls  or  spirits  who  in  the  other 
life  reason  about  the  truths  of  faith  and  against  them,  become 
like  drunken  men  and  act  like  them ;  concerning  whom,  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  mercy  hereafter.  [2]  Spirits  are  perfectly  well 
distinguished  from  each  other,  as  to  whether  they  are  in  the 
faith  of  charity  or  not.  Those  who  are  in  the  faith  of  charity 
do  not  reason  about  the  truths  of  faith,  but  say  that  the  thing 
is  so,  and  also  as  far  as  possible  confirm  it  by  things  of  sense 
and  of  memory,  and  by  the  analysis  of  reason ;  but  as  soon  as 
anything  obscure  comes  in  their  way  the  truth  of  which  they 
do  not  perceive,  they  defer  it,  and  never  suffer  such  a  thing 
to  bring  them  into  doubt,  saying  that  there  are  but  very  few 
things  they  can  apprehend,  and  therefore  to  think  that  any- 
thing is  not  true  because  they  do  not  apprehend  it,  would  be 
madness.  These  are  they  who  are  in  charity.  But — on  the 
contrary — those  who  are  not  in  the  faith  of  charity  desire 
merely  to  reason  whether  a  thing  be  so,  and  to  know  how  it  is, 
saying  that  unless  they  can  know  how  it  is,  they  cannot  believe 
it  to  be  so.  From  this  alone  they  are  known  at  once  as  being 
in  no  faith,  a  mark  of  which  is  that  they  not  only  doubt  con- 
cerning all  things,  but  also  deny  in  their  hearts ;  and  when 
they  are  instructed  how  the  case  is,  they  still  cling  to  their 
disbelief  and  start  all  kinds  of  objections,  and  never  acquiesce, 
were  it  to  eternity.  Those  who  thus  persist  in  their  contumacy 
heap  errors  upon  errors.  [3]  These,  or  such  as  these,  are  they 
who  are  called  in  the  Word  "  drunken  with  wine  or  strong 
drink."  As  in  Isaiah  : — 

These  err  through  wine,  and  through  strong  drink  are  gone  astray  ; 
the  priest  and  the  prophet  err  through  strong  drink,  they  are  swallowed 
up  of  wine,  they  are  gone  astray  through  strong  drink  ;  they  err  in  vision  ; 
all  tables  are  full  of  vomit  and  filthiness.  Whom  will  He  teach  knowl- 
edge ?  and  whom  will  He  make  to  understand  the  report  ?  Them  that 
are  weaned  from  the  milk,  and  drawn  from  the  breasts  (xxviii.  7-9). 
VOL.  I.— 36 


562  GENESIS  [N.  1072 

That  such  are  meant  here  is  evident.     Again : — 

How  say  ye  unto  Pharaoh,  I  am  the  son  of  the  wise,  the  son  of  ancient 
kings  ?  where  then  are  thy  wise  men  ?  and  let  them  tell  thee  now  ;  Jeho- 
vah hath  mingled  a  spirit  of  perversities  in  the  midst  of  her ;  and  they 
have  caused  Egypt  to  go  astray  hi  every  work  thereof,  as  a  drunken  man 
goeth  astray  in  his  vomit  (xix.  11,  12,  14). 

A  "  drunken  man"  here  denotes  those  who  desire,  from  mem- 
ory-knowledges (scientifica),  to  investigate  spiritual  and  celes- 
tial things.  "  Egypt"  signifies  these  knowledges,  and  therefore 
calls  itself  the  "  son  of  the  wise."  In  Jeremiah : — 

Drink  ye,  and  be  drunken,  and  spue,  and  fall,  and  rise  no  more  (xxv. 
27), 

meaning  falsities.     [4]  In  David : — 

They  reel  to  and  fro,  and  stagger  like  a  drunken  man,  and  all  their 
wisdom  is  swallowed  up  (Ps.  cvii.  27). 

In  Isaiah : — 

Come  ye,  I  will  take  wine,  and  we  will  be  drunken  with  strong  drink  ; 
and  there  shall  be  to-morrow,  as  this  day,  great  abundance  (Ivi.  12), 

said  of  what  is  contrary  to  the  truths  of  faith.     In  Jeremiah : — 

Every  bottle  shall  be  filled  with  wine  ;  all  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusa- 
lem, with  drunkenness  (xiii.  12,  13)  ; 

"  wine"  denotes  faith ;  "  drunkenness"  errors.     In  Joel : — 

Awake,  ye  drunkards,  and  weep  ;  and  howl,  all  ye  drinkers  of  wine, 
because  of  the  new  wine,  for  it  is  cut  off  from  your  mouth  ;  for  a  nation 
is  come  up  upon  My  land  ;  he  hath  laid  My  vine  waste  (i.  5-7), 

said  of  the  church  when  vastated  as  to  the  truths  of  faith.  In 
John : — 

Babylon  hath  made  all  the  nations  to  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath 
of  her  fornication.  They  that  dwell  hi  the  earth  were  made  drunken 
with  the  wine  of  her  fornication  (Eev.  xiv.  8,  10  ;  xvi.  19  ;  xvii.  2  ;  xviii. 
3  ;  xix.  15). 

The  "  wine  of  fornication"  means  adulterated  truths  of  faith, 
of  which  "  drunkenness"  is  predicated.  So  in  Jeremiah  : — 

Babylon  hath  been  a  golden  cup  in  the  hand  of  Jehovah,  that  made  all 
the  earth  drunken ;  the  nations  have  drunk  of  her  wine,  therefore  the 
nations  Te  mad  (li.  7). 


N.  1072]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  21  563 

[5]  Because  "  drunkenness"  signified  insanities  about  the  truths 
of  faith,  it  also  became  representative  and  was  forbidden  to 
Aaron  and  his  sons,  thus  : — 

Drink  no  wine  nor  strong  drink,  thou,  nor  thy  sons  with  thee,  when 
ye  go  into  the  tent  of  meeting,  that  ye  die  not ;  that  ye  may  put  a  differ- 
ence between  the  holy  and  the  profane,  and  between  the  unclean  and 
the  clean  (Lev.  x.  8,  9). 

Those  who  believe  nothing  but  what  they  apprehend  by  things 
of  sense  and  memory  (scientifica)  are  also  called  "heroes  to 
drink."  In  Isaiah  : — 

Woe  unto  them  that  are  wise  in  their  own  eyes,  and  intelligent  before 
their  own  faces  !  woe  unto  them  that  are  heroes  to  drink  wine,  and  men 
of  strength  to  mingle  strong  drink  !  (v.  21,  22). 

They  are  called  "  wise  in  their  own  eyes  and  intelligent  before 
their  own  faces,"  because  those  who  reason  against  the  truths 
of  faith  think  themselves  wiser  than  others.  [6]  But  those 
who  care  nothing  for  the  Word  and  the  truths  of  faith,  and 
thus  are  not  willing  to  know  anything  about  faith,  denying 
its  first  principles,  are  called  "  drunken  without  wine."  In 
Isaiah : — 

They  are  drunken,  but  not  with  wine  ;  they  stagger,  but  not  with 
strong  drink  ;  for  Jehovah  hath  poured  out  upon  you  the  spirit  of  deep 
sleep,  and  hath  closed  your  eyes  (xxix.  9,  10). 

That  such  is  their  quality  is  evident  from  what  goes  before 
and  what  follows,  in  that  Prophet.  Such  "  drunken  men" 
think  themselves  more  wide  awake  than  others,  but  they  are 
in  deep  sleep.  That  the  Ancient  Church  in  the  beginning  was 
such  as  is  described  in  this  verse,  especially  those  who  were  of 
the  stock  of  the  Most  Ancient  Church,  is  evident  from  what 
has  been  said  before  (n.  788). 

1073.  And  he  was  uncovered  in  the  midst  of  his  tent.  That 
this  signifies  things  thereby  perverted,  is  evident  from  the 
signification  of  "  uncovered,"  that  is,  naked.  For  he  is  called 
"  uncovered  and  naked  from  the  drunkenness  of  wine,"  in 
whom  there  are  no  truths  of  faith,  and  still  more  so  is  he  in 
whom  they  are  perverted.  The  truths  of  faith  themselves  are 
compared  to  garments  which  cover  the  goods  of  charity,  or 
charity  itself;  for  charity  is  the  body  itself,  and  therefore 


564  GENESIS  [N.  1073 

truths  are  its  garments ;  or  what  amounts  to  the  same  thing, 
charity  is  the  soul  itself  and  the  truths  of  faith  are  as  the 
body,  which  is  the  clothing  of  the  soul.  The  truths  of  faith 
are  also  called  in  the  Word  "garments,"  and  a  "covering," 
and  therefore  it  is  said  in  the  twenty-third  verse  that  Shem 
and  Japheth  took  a  garment  and  covered  the  nakedness  of 
their  father.  Spiritual  things  relatively  to  celestial  are  as  a 
body  that  clothes  the  soul,  or  as  garments  that  clothe  the 
body ;  and  in  heaven  they  are  represented  by  garments.  In 
this  verse,  because  it  is  said  that  he  lay  uncovered,  it  is  signi- 
fied that  he  stripped  himself  of  the  truths  of  faith  by  desiring 
to  investigate  them  by  means  of  the  things  of  sense  and  by 
reasonings  therefrom.  The  like  is  signified  in  the  Word  by 
lying  naked  from  drunkenness  with  wine,  as  in  Jeremiah : — 

Rejoice  and  be  glad,  O  daughter  of  Edom,  that  dwellest  in  the  land 
of  Uz  ;  the  cup  shall  pass  through  unto  thee  also  ;  thou  shalt  be  drunken, 
and  shalt  make  thyself  naked  (Lam.  iv.  21). 

And  in  Habakkuk  : — 

"Woe  unto  him  that  maketh  his  companion  drink,  and  also  maketh  him 
drunken,  in  order  to  look  upon  their  nakednesses  (ii.  15). 

1074.  That  "  the  midst  of  a  tent"  signifies  the  principal  of 
faith,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of  the  "  midst,"  and 
from  that  of  a  "tent."     In  the  Word  the  "midst"  signifies 
the  inmost,  and  a  "tent"  charity,  or  worship  from  charity. 
Charity  is  the  inmost,  that  is,  is  the  principal  of  faith  and  of 
worship,  and  thus    is  "the  midst  of  the  tent."     (That  the 
"  midst"  signifies  the  inmost,  has  been  shown  before,  and  that 
a  "  tent"  is  the  holy  of  love,  that  is,  is  charity,  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  414.) 

1075.  Verse  22.    And   Ham,  the  father   of   Canaan,  saw 
the  nakedness  of  his  father,  and  told  his  two  brethren  without. 
"  Ham"  and  "  Canaan"  have  the  same  signification  here  as 
before ;  "  Ham,"  the  church  corrupted ;  "  Canaan,"  worship  in 
externals  without  internal  worship;  "saw  the  nakedness  of 
his  father,"  signifies  that  he  observed  the  errors  and  perver- 
sions mentioned  above ;  "  and  told  his  two  brethren  without," 
signifies  that  he  derided.     They  are  called  his  "  brethren"  be- 
cause he  professed  faith. 


N.  1076]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  22  565 

1076.  That  "Ham"  signifies  the  church  corrupted,  is  evi- 
dent from  what  has  been  said  before  about  Ham.     A  church 
is  said  to  be  corrupted  when  it  acknowledges  the  Word  and 
has  a  certain  worship  like  that  of  a  true  church,  but  yet  sepa- 
rates faith  from  charity,  thus  from  its  essential  and  from  its 
life,  whereby  faith  becomes  a  kind  of  dead  affair ;  the  result  of 
which  necessarily  is  that  the  church  is  corrupted.     What  the 
men  of  the  church  then  become,  is  evident  from  the  considera- 
tion that  they  can  have  no  conscience ;  for  conscience  that  is 
really  conscience  cannot  possibly  exist  except  from  charity. 
Charity  is  what  makes  conscience,  that  is,  the  Lord  through 
charity.     What  else  is  conscience  than  not  to  do  evil  to  any 
one  in  any  way ;  that  is,  to  do  well  to  all  in  every  way  ?    Thus 
conscience  belongs  to  charity,  and  never  to  faith  separated  from 
charity.     If  such  persons  have  any  conscience,  it  is  a  false 
conscience  (concerning  which  see  above) ;  and  because  they  are 
without  conscience,  they  rush  into  all  wickedness,  so  far  as 
outward  bonds  are  relaxed.     They  do  not  even  know  what 
charity  is,  except  that  it  is  a  word  significant  of  something.  And 
as  they  are  without  charity,  they  do  not  know  what  faith  is. 
When  questioned,  they  can  only  answer  that  it  is  a  kind  of 
thinking;  some,  that  it  is  confidence;  others,  that  it  is  the 
knowledges  of  faith ;  a  few,  that  it  is  life  according  to  these 
knowledges,  and  scarcely  any  that  it  is  a  life  of  charity  or  of 
mutual  love.     And  if  this  is  said  to  them,  and  opportunity  is 
given  them  for  reflection,  they  answer  only  that  all  love  begins 
from  self,  and  that  he  is  worse  than  a  heathen  who  does  not 
take  care  of  himself  and  his   own  family.     They  therefore 
study  nothing  but  themselves  and  the  world.     Hence  it  comes 
to  pass  that  they  live  in  their  Own,  the  nature  of  which  has 
been  described  before.     These  are  they  who  are  called  "  Ham." 

1077.  That  they  who  are  here  called  "Ham,"  and  "Ca- 
naan,"  that  is,  those  who  separate  faith  from  charity  and 
hence  make  worship  consist  in  externals  alone,  cannot  know 
what  and  whence  is  conscience,  needs  to  be  briefly  shown. 
Conscience  is  formed  by  means  of  the  truths  of  faith,  for  that 
which  a  man  has  heard,  acknowledged,  and  believed  makes 
the  conscience  in  him ;  and  afterwards  to  act  contrary  to  this 
is  to  him  to  act  contrary  to  conscience,  as  may  be  sufficiently 


566  GENESIS  [N.  1077 

evident  to  every  one ;  so  that  unless  it  is  the  truths  of  faith 
that  a  man  hears,  acknowledges,  and  believes,  he  cannot  pos- 
sibly have  a  true  conscience.  For  it  is  through  the  truths  of 
faith  (the  Lord  working  in  charity)  that  man  is  regenerated, 
and  therefore  it  is  through  the  truths  of  faith  that  he  re- 
ceives conscience,  conscience  being  the  new  man  himself. 
From  this  it  is  evident  that  the  truths  of  faith  are  the  means 
by  which  this  may  take  place,  that  is,  that  the  man  may  live 
according  to  what  faith  teaches,  the  principal  of  which  is 
to  love  the  Lord  above  all  things,  and  the  neighbor  as  him- 
self. If  he  does  not  so  live,  what  is  his  faith  but  an  empty 
affair,  and  a  mere  high-sounding  word,  or  a  thing  that  is 
separated  from  heavenly  life,  and  in  which  when  thus  sepa- 
rated there  is  no  possible  salvation  ?  [2]  For  to  believe  that 
no  matter  how  a  man  lives,  he  may  yet  be  saved  provided 
he  has  faith,  is  to  say  that  he  may  be  saved  if  he  has  no 
charity,  and  no  conscience  (that  is,  if  he  passes  his  life  in 
hatred,  revenge,  robbery,  adultery,  in  a  word,  in  all  things 
contrary  to  charity  and  conscience)  provided  only  that  he  has 
faith,  even  if  it  be  but  at  the  hour  of  death.  Let  such  persons 
consider,  when  they  are  in  such  a  false  principle,  what  truth 
of  faith  there  is  that  can  form  their  conscience,  and  whether 
it  be  not  what  is  false.  If  they  suppose  that  they  have  any- 
thing of  conscience,  it  must  be  only  outward  bonds- — such  as 
fear  of  the  law,  of  loss  of  honor,  of  gain,  or  of  reputation  for 
the  sake  of  these — that  make,  with  them,  what  they  call  con- 
science, and  which  lead  them  not  to  injure  the  neighbor,  but 
to  do  him  good.  But  as  this  is  not  conscience,  because  not 
charity,  therefore  when  these  restraints  are  loosened  or  taken 
away,  such  persons  rush  into  most  wicked  and  obscene  things. 
Very  different  is  the  case  with  those  who,  although  they  have 
declared  that  faith  alone  saves,  have  still  lived  a  life  of 
charity;  for  in  their  faith  there  has  been  charity  from  the 
Lord. 

1078.  That  the  "  father  of  Canaan"  signifies  worship  in 
externals  without  internal  worship,  has  been  stated  before. 
From  faith  separated  from  charity  no  other  worship  can  come 
forth ;  for  the  internal  man  is  charity,  never  faith  without 
charity ;  so  that  he  who  is  destitute  of  charity  can  have  no 


N.  1078]  CHAPTER  IX.  VER,  22  567 

other  worship  than  external  worship  without  internal.  And 
because  such  worship  comes  forth  from  faith  separated  from 
charity,  Ham  is  called  "  the  father  of  Canaan,"  and  in  what 
follows  Ham  is  not  treated  of,  but  Canaan. 

1079.  Saw  the  nakedness  of  his  father.     That  this  signifies 
that  he  observed  the  errors  and  perversions,  is  evident  from 
the  signification  of  "nakedness"  (concerning  which  see  just 
above,  and  also  before  at  n.  213,  214),  as  being  what  is  evil 
and  perverted.     Here,  those  who  are  in  faith  separated  from 
charity  are  described  by  "  Ham,"  in  his  "  seeing  the  nakedness 
of  his  father,"  that  is,  his  errors  and  perversions ;  for  they  who 
are  of  this  character  see  nothing  else  in  a  man ;  whereas — 
very  differently — those  who  are  in  the  faith  of  charity  ob- 
serve what  is  good,  and  if  they  see  anything  evil  and  false,  they 
excuse  it,  and  if  they  can,  try  to  amend  it  iii  him,  as  is  here 
said  of  Shem  and  Japheth.     Where  there  is  no  charity,  there 
there  is  the  love  of  self,  and  therefore  hatred  against  all  who 
do  not  favor  self.     Consequently  such  persons  see  in  the  neigh- 
bor only  what  is  evil,  and  if  they  see  anything  good,  they  either 
perceive  it  as  nothing,  or  put  a  bad  interpretation  upon  it.     It 
is  just  the  other  way  with  those  who  are  in  charity.     By  this 
difference  these  two  kinds  of  men  are  distinguished  from  one 
another,  especially  when  they  come  into  the  other  life ;  for 
then  with  those  who  are  in  no  charity,  the  feeling  of  hatred 
shines  forth  from  every  single  thing ;  they  desire  to  examine 
every  one,  and  even  to  judge  him ;  nor  do  they  desire  anything 
more  than  to  find  out  what  is  evil,  constantly  cherishing  the 
disposition  to  condemn,  punish,  and  torment.     But  they  who 
are  in  charity  scarcely  see  the  evil  of  another,  but  observe  all 
his  goods  and  truths,  and  put  a  good  interpretation  on  what  is 
evil  and  false.     Such  are  all  the  angels,  which  they  have  from 
the  Lord,  who  bends  all  evil  into  good. 

1080.  And  told  his  two  brethren  without.     That  this  signifies 
that  he  derided,  follows  as  a  consequence  from  what  has  been 
said.     For  with  those  who  are  in  no  charity,  there  is  continual 
contempt  for  others,  or  continual  derision,  and  on  every  occa- 
sion a  publishing  of  their  errors.     That  they  do  not  act  openly, 
is  solely  owing  to  the  restraining  influence  of  external  bonds, 
namely,  fear  of  the  law,  of  loss  of  life,  of  honor,  of  gain,  and 


568  GENESIS  [N.  1080 

of  reputation,  on  their  account ;  and  this  is  why  they  inwardly 
cherish  such  things,  while  outwardly  they  pretend  friendship. 
In  this  way  they  acquire  two  spheres,  which  are  plainly  per- 
ceived in  the  other  life :  the  one,  interior,  full  of  hatreds ;  the 
other,  exterior,  simulative  of  what  is  good.  These  spheres, 
being  as  they  are  utterly  discordant,  cannot  but  be  in  conflict 
with  each  other;  and  therefore  when  the  exterior  sphere  is 
taken  away  from  them,  so  that  they  cannot  dissemble,  they 
rush  into  all  wickedness ;  and  when  it  is  not  taken  away, 
hatred  hirks  in  every  word  they  utter,  and  this  is  perceived. 
From  this  come  their  punishments  and  torments. 

1081.  That  they  are  called  his  "brethren"  because  he  pro- 
fessed faith,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  shown  above  (n. 
367),  namely,  that  charity  is  the  brother  of  faith. 

1082.  Verse  23.  And  Shem  and  Japlietli  took  a  garment, 
and  laid  it  upon  the  shoulder,  both  of  them,  and  went  back- 
ward, and  covered  the  nakedness  of  their  father  ;  and  their  faces 
were  backward,  and  they  saw  not  their  fathers  nakedness.     By 
"  Shem,"  as  before  said,  is  signified  the  internal  church ;  by 
"  Japheth,"  the  external  church  corresponding  thereto ;  "  took 
a  garment,"  signifies  that  they  interpreted  for  good ;  "  and  laid 
it  upon  the  shoulder,  both  of  them,"  signifies  that  they  did  this 
with  all  their  might ;  "  and  went  backward,"  signifies  that  they 
did  not  attend  to  the  errors  and  perversions ;  "  and  covered  the 
nakedness  of  their  father,"  signifies  that  they  thus  excused 
them ;  "  and  their  faces  were  backward,  and  they  saw  not  their 
father's  nakedness,"  signifies  that  so  it  ought  to  be  done,  and 
that  such  things  as  errors  and  mistakes  from  reasonings  should 
not  be  attended  to. 

1083.  That  by  "  Shem"  is  signified  the  internal  church  and 
by  "  Japheth"  the  external  church  corresponding  thereto,  has 
been  stated  before.     Where  there  is  a  church,  there  must  needs 
be  what  is  internal  and  what  is  external ;  for  man,  who  is  the 
church,  is  internal  and  external.     Before  he  becomes  a  church, 
that  is,  before  he  has  been  regenerated,  man  is  in  externals ; 
and  when  he  is  being  regenerated  he  is  led  from  externals, 
nay,  by  means  of  externals,  to  internals  (as  has  been  already 
stated  and  shown) ;  and  afterwards,  when  he  has  been  regen- 
erated, all  things  of  the  internal  man  are  terminated  in  the 


N.  1083]  CHAPTER  IX.  VER.  23  569 

externals.  Thus  of  necessity  every  church  must  be  both  in- 
ternal and  external,  as  was  the  Ancient  Church,  and  as  at  this 
day  is  the  Christian  Church.  [2]  The  internals  of  the  An- 
cient Church  were  all  the  things  of  charity  and  of  the  deriva- 
tive faith — all  humiliation,  all  adoration  of  the  Lord  from 
charity,  all  good  affection  toward  the  neighbor,  and  other  such 
things.  The  externals  of  the  Ancient  Church  were  sacrifices, 
libations,  and  many  other  things,  all  of  which  by  representa- 
tion had  reference  to  the  Lord  and  regarded  Him.  Hence 
there  were  internals  in  the  externals,  and  they  made  one 
church.  The  internals  of  the  Christian  Church  are  exactly 
like  the  internals  of  the  Ancient  Church,  but  other  externals 
have  succeeded  in  their  place,  namely,  in  place  of  sacrifices 
and  the  like,  the  sacraments  (symbolica),  from  which  in  like 
manner  the  Lord  is  regarded  ;  and  thus,  again,  internals  and 
externals  make  a  one.  [3]  The  Ancient  Church  did  not  differ 
one  whit  from  the  Christian  Church  as  to  internals,  but  only 
as  to  externals.  Worship  of  the  Lord  from  charity  can  never 
differ,  howsoever  externals  are  varied.  And  since,  as  has  been 
said,  there  cannot  be  a  church  unless  there  are  both  what  is 
internal  and  what  is  external,  the  internal  without  an  external 
would  be  something  interminate,  unless  it  were  terminated  in 
some  external.  For  man  for  the  most  part  is  such  that  he 
does  not  know  what  the  internal  man  is,  and  what  belongs  to 
the  internal  man ;  and  therefore  unless  there  were  external 
worship,  he  would*  know  nothing  whatever  of  what  is  holy. 
When  such  men  have  charity  and  the  derivative  conscience, 
they  have  internal  worship  within  themselves  in  the  external 
worship ;  for  in  them  the  Lord  works,  in  charity  and  in  con- 
science, and  causes  all  their  worship  to  partake  of  what  is  in- 
ternal. It  is  otherwise  with  those  who  have  no  charity  and 
no  derivative  conscience.  They  may  have  worship  in  exter- 
nals, but  separated  from  internal  worship,  as  they  have  faith 
separated  from  charity.  Such  worship  is  called  "Canaan," 
and  such  faith  is  called  "Ham."  And  because  this  worship 
comes  forth  from  faith  separated,  Ham  is  called  the  "father 
of  Canaan." 

1084.    Took  a  garment.     That  this  signifies  that  they  inter- 
preted for  good,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  already  said. 


570  GENESIS  [N.  1084 

To  "  take  a  garment  and  cover  the  nakedness"  of  any  one,  can 
have  no  other  signification,  seeing  that  "  being  uncovered"  and 
"  nakedness"  signify  errors  and  perversions. 

1085.  And  laid  it  upon  the  shoulder.  That  this  signifies 
that  they  did  this — that  is,  interpreted  for  good  and  excused — 
with  all  their  might,  is  evident  from  the  signification  of 
"shoulder,"  as  being  all  power.  "Hand"  in  the  Word  sig- 
nifies power,  as  shown  before ;  "  arm"  signifies  still  greater 
power ;  and  "  shoulder"  signifies  all  power,  as  is  evident  from 
the  following  passages  in  the  Word  ;  in  Ezeklel : — 

Ye  thrust  with  side  and  with  shoulder,  and  push  all  the  diseased  sheep 
with  your  horns,  till  ye  have  scattered  them  abroad  (xxxiv.  21). 

"With  side  and  with  shoulder,"  means  with  all  the  soul  and 
all  the  might,  and  "  pushing  with  their  horns,"  means  with 
all  the  strength.  [2]  Again : — 

That  all  the  inhabitants  of  Egypt  may  know  that  I  am  Jehovah, 
because  they  have  been  a  staff  of  reed  to  the  house  of  Israel ;  in  their 
taking  hold  of  thee  in  the  hand  thou  shalt  be  broken,  and  shalt  rend 
for  them  every  shoulder  (xxix.  6,  7). 

This  is  said  of  those  who  desire  to  explore  spiritual  truths 
by  means  of  memory -knowledges  (scientifica).  The  "  staff  of 
reed"  denotes  such  power ;  "  taking  in  the  hand"  means  trust- 
ing therein ;  "  rending  every  shoulder"  means  being  deprived 
of  all  power  so  as  to  know  nothing.  [3]  In  Zephaniah : — 

That  they  may  all  call  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah,  to  serve  Him  with 
one  shoulder  (iii.  9) ; 

meaning  with  one  soul,  thus  with  one  might.     In  Zechariah : — 

But  they  refused  to  hearken,  and  turned  a  stubborn  shoulder  (vii.  11)  ; 

meaning  that  they  resisted  with  all  their  might.     In  Isaiah: — 

They  hire  a  goldsmith,  who  maketh  gold  and  silver  into  a  god ;  they 
adore,  yea,  they  bow  down  ;  they  bear  it  upon  the  shoulder,  they  carry 
it  (xlvi.  6,  7)  ; 

meaning  that  they  adore  their  idol  with  all  their  might,  which 
is  "bearing  it  on  the  shoulder."  [4]  Again: — 

For  unto  us  a  Child  is  born,  unto  us  a  Son  is  given  ;  and  the  govern- 
ment shall  be  upon  His  shoulder :  and  His  name  shall  be  called  Wonder- 
ful, Counselor,  God,  Hero,  Father  of  Eternity,  Prince  of  Peace  (ix.  6). 


N.  1085]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  23  571 

This  is  said  of  the  Lord,  and  of  His  power  and  might;  and 
therefore  it  is  said,  "  upon  His  shoulder."  Again  : — 

The  key  of  the  house  of  David  will  I  lay  upon  His  shoulder ;  and  He 
shall  open,  and  none  shall  shut ;  and  He  shall  shut  and  none  shall  open 
(xxii.  22). 

This  likewise  is  said  of  the  Lord,  and  "  to  lay  upon  His 
shoulder  the  key  of  the  house  of  David,"  means  His  power 
and  authority. 

1086.  And  ivent  backward.     That  this  signifies  that  they 
did  not  attend  to  the  errors  and  perversions,  is  evident  from 
the  signification  of  "  going  backward,"  as  being  to  avert  the 
eyes  and  not  see  ;  which  is  plain  from  what  follows,  where  it  is 
said  that   they  did  not  see  the  nakedness  of   their  father. 
"  Not  to  see,"  in  the  internal  sense  is  not  to  attend  to. 

1087.  And  covered  the  nakedness  of  their   father.     That 
this  signifies  that  they  excused  them,  is  evident  both  from  the 
connection,  and  from  the  signification  of  "  nakedness,"  that  is, 
perversions. 

1088.  And  their  faces  were  backward,  and  they  saw  not  the 
nakedness  of  their  father.     That  this  signifies  that  so  it  ought 
to  be  done,  and   that    such  things    as   errors   and   mistakes 
from  reasonings  should  not  be  attended  to,  is  evident  from  the 
repetition;  for  nearly  the  same  things  are  said  here  as  just 
before,  and  therefore  these  words  make  at  the  same  time  a 
conclusion.     For  such  was  the  character  of  this  parent  church, 
or  of  the  man  of  this  church,  that  he  did  not  act  in  this  way 
from  malice,  but  from  simplicity,  as  is  evident  from  what  pres- 
ently follows,  where  it  is   said  that  "  Noah  awoke  from  his 
wine,"  that  is,  was  better  instructed.     As  regards  the  matter 
here  treated  of,  we  may  say  that  those  who  are  in  no  charity 
think  nothing  but  evil  of  the  neighbor,  and  say  nothing  but 
evil;  if  they  say  anything  good,  it  is  for  their  own  sake,  or 
for  the  sake  of  him  whom  they  flatter  under  the  appearance 
of  friendship;  whereas  those  who  are  in  charity  think  noth- 
ing but  good  of  their  neighbor  and  speak  only  well  of  him, 
and  this  not  for  their  own  sake  or  the  favor  of  another  whom 
they  flatter,  but  from  the  Lord  thus  working  in  charity.     The 
former  are  like  the  evil  spirits,  the  latter  are  like  the  angels, 


572  GENESIS  [N.  1088 

who  are  with  a  man.  The  evil  spirits  excite  nothing  but  what 
is  evil  and  false  in  the  man,  and  condemn  him  ;  but  the  angels 
excite  nothing  but  what  is  good  and  true,  and  excuse  what  is 
evil  and  false.  From  this  it  is  evident  that  with  those  who 
are  in  no  charity  the  evil  spirits  rule,  through  whom  the  man 
communicates  with  hell;  and  that  with  those  who  are  in 
charity  the  angels  rule,  through  whom  he  communicates  with 
heaven. 

1089.  Verse  24.  And  Noah  awoke  from  his  wine,  and  knew 
what  his  younger  son  had  done  unto  him.     "  And  Noah  awoke 
from  his  wine,"  signifies  when  he  was  better  instructed  ;  "  and 
knew  what  his  younger  son  had  done  unto  him,"  signifies  that 
external  worship  separate  from  internal  is  such  that  it  derides. 

1090.  And  Noah  awoke  from  his  wine.     That  this  signifies 
when  he  was  better  instructed,  is  evident  from  the  signification 
of  "  awaking"  after  drunkenness.     When  he  was  "  drunken" 
(verse  21)  it  signified  that  he  had  fallen  into  errors,  and  there- 
fore his  "  awaking"  is  nothing  else  than  coming  out  of  errors. 

1091.  What  his  younger  son  had  done  unto  him.     This  sig- 
nifies that  external  worship  separate  from  internal  is  such  that 
it  derides.     From  the  literal  or  historic  sense  it  appears  as  if 
Ham  were  meant  by  his  younger  son,  but  from  the  following 
verse  it  is  evident  that  Canaan  is  meant,  for  it  is  said,  "  Cursed 
be  Canaan,"  and  in  the  subsequent  verses  (26  and  27),  it  is 
said  that  Canaan  should  be  a  servant.     The  reason  nothing  is 
said  of  Ham  will  be  explained  under  the  next  verse.     Here 
we  shall  merely  mention  why  the  order  is  such  that  Shem  is 
named  first,  Ham  second,  Japheth  third,  and  Canaan  fourth. 
Charity  is  the  first  of  the  church,  or  Shem ;  faith  is  the  sec- 
ond, or  Ham ;  worship  from  charity  is  the  third,  or  Japheth ; 
worship  in  externals  without  faith  and  charity  is  the  fourth, 
or  Canaan.     Charity  is  the  brother  of  faith,  and  therefore  so 
also  is  worship  from  charity ;  but  worship  in  externals  with- 
out charity  is  "  a  servant  of  servants." 

1092.  Verse  25.  And  he  said,  Cursed  be  Canaan  ;  a  servant 
of  servants  shall  he  be  to  his  brethren.    "  Cursed  be  Canaan," 
signifies  that  external  worship  separate  from  internal  averts 
itself  from  the  Lord ;  "  a  servant  of  servants  shall  he  be  to 
his  brethren,"  signifies  the  vilest  thing  in  the  church. 


N.  1093]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  25  673 

1093.  Cursed  be  Canaan.  That  this  signifies  that  external 
worship  separate  from  internal  averts  itself  from  the  Lord,  is 
evident  from  the  signification  of  "  Canaan"  and  from  that  of 
"  being  cursed."  That  "  Canaan"  is  external  worship  separate 
from  internal,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said  before  about 
Canaan,  and  also  from  his  being  said  to  be  "  cursed,"  and  from 
what  follows  about  his  being  a  servant  of  servants ;  moreover 
one  who  is  a  servant  to  both  Shem  and  Japheth  cannot  signify 
anything  else  than  something  that  is  separated  from  the  church 
itself,  such  as  is  worship  in  externals  alone.  This  is  evident 
from  the  signification  of  being  "  cursed,"  as  being  to  avert 
one's  self,  because  the  Lord  never  curses  any  one,  nor  is  even 
angry ;  but  it  is  man  who  curses  himself  by  averting  himself 
from  the  Lord.  (See  what  was  stated  and  shown  above,  n.  223, 
245,  592.)  The  Lord  is  as  far  from  cursing  any  one  and  being 
angry  with  him  as  heaven  is  from  earth.  Who  can  believe 
that  the  Lord,  who  is  omniscient  and  omnipotent,  and  by  His 
wisdom  rules  the  universe,  and  is  thus  infinitely  above  all 
infirmities,  is  angry  with  such  wretched  dust  as  men,  who 
scarcely  know  anything  of  what  they  do,  and  can  of  them- 
selves do  nothing  but  evil  ?  It  is,  therefore,  never  possible 
for  the  Lord  to  be  angry,  or  be  other  than  merciful.  [2]  That 
arcana  are  here  contained,  may  be  seen  merely  from  this,  that 
Ham  is  not  cursed,  when  yet  it  was  he  who  saw  the  nakedness 
of  his  father  and  told  it  to  his  brethren,  but  his  son  Canaan, 
who  was  not  his  only  son  nor  his  firstborn,  but  the  fourth  in 
order,  as  is  evident  from  the  tenth  chapter,  sixth  verse,  where 
the  sons  of  Ham  are  named  :  Cush,  Mizraim,  Put,  and  Canaan. 
It  was  also  of  the  Divine  Law  that  a  son  should  not  bear  the 
iniquity  of  his  father,  as  is  evident  in  Ezekiel: — 

The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die  ;  the  son  shall  not  bear  the  iniquity 
of  the  father,  neither  shall  the  father  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  son  (xviii. 
20  ;  Deut.  xxiv.  16  ;  2  Kings  xiv.  6). 

The  same  appears  also  from  the  consideration  that  this  iniquity 
seems  so  light  (that  is  to  say,  Ham's  seeing  the  nakedness  of 
his  father  and  telling  it  to  his  brethren),  that  a  whole  posterity 
could  not  be  cursed  for  it.  From  all  this  it  is  evident  that 
there  are  arcana  contained  here.  [3]  That  "  Ham"  is  not 
now  named,  but  "  Canaan,"  is  because  "  Ham"  signifies  faith 


574  GENESIS  [N.  1093 

separated  from  charity  in  the  spiritual  church ;  and  this  can- 
not be  cursed,  since  in  that  church  there  is  holiness  in  faith, 
because  there  is  truth.  Hence  although  there  is  no  faith  when 
there  is  no  charity,  still  as  man  is  regenerated  by  means  of  the 
knowledges  of  faith,  this  faith  without  charity  may  be  joined 
to  charity,  and  thus  is  in  a  certain  sense  a  brother,  or  may  be- 
come a  brother;  therefore  not  Ham  but  Canaan  was  cursed. 
Furthermore,  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  of  Canaan  were  in 
great  part  of  such  a  nature  that  they  made  all  worship  consist 
in  externals,  the  Jews  as  well  as  the  Gentiles.  Such  are  the 
arcana  here  contained,  and  unless  this  were  so,  Canaan  would 
never  have  been  substituted  in  place  of  Ham.  That  external 
worship  separated  from  internal  averts  itself  and  thus  curses 
itself,  is  sufficiently  evident  from  the  consideration  that  those 
who  are  in  external  worship  regard  nothing  but  what  is 
worldly,  corporeal,  and  earthly ;  thus  they  look  downward, 
and  immerse  their  minds  and  their  life  in  these  things,  of 
which  we  shall  have  more  to  say  presently. 

1094.  A  servant  of  servants  shall  he  be  to  his  brethren.  That 
this  signifies  the  vilest  thing  in  the  church,  is  evident  from  the 
nature  of  external  worship  when  separated  from  internal. 
That,  regarded  in  itself,  external  worship  is  nothing,  unless 
there  be  internal  worship  to  make  it  holy,  must  be  evident  to 
every  one.  For  what  is  external  adoration,  without  adoration 
of  the  heart,  but  a  gesture  ?  Or  what  is  prayer  of  the  lips,  if 
the  mind  is  not  in  it,  but  mere  babbling  ?  And  what  is  any 
work,  if  there  is  no  intention  in  it,  but  a  thing  of  nought  ? 
So  that  in  itself  every  external  thing  is  an  inanimate  affair, 
and  lives  solely  from  what  is  internal.  [2]  The  nature  of  ex- 
ternal worship  when  separated  from  what  is  internal,  has  been 
made  evident  to  me  from  many  things  in  the  other  life.  The 
sorceresses  there  had  in  the  world  frequented  churches  and  the 
sacraments  equally  with  others ;  and  so  had  the  deceitful,  in 
fact  these  had  done  so  more  than  others  ;  and  so  also  had  those 
who  had  been  delighted  with  robbery,  and  the  avaricious  ;  and 
yet  they  are  infernals,  and  bear  the  greatest  hatred  against  the 
Lord  and  the  neighbor.  Their  internal  worship  in  external 
had  been  either  that  they  might  be  seen  by  the  world ;  or  that 
they  might  gain  worldly,  earthly,  and  corporeal  things  which 


N.  1094]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  25  575 

they  desired ;  or  that  they  might  deceive  under  the  appearance 
of  sanctity ;  or  from  a  certain  acquired  habit.  That  such  per- 
sons are  very  prone  to  adore  any  god  or  any  idol  that  favors 
them  and  their  desires  is  very  manifest,  especially  from  the 
Jews,  who  in  consequence  of  making  their  worship  to  consist 
in  nothing  but  externals,  so  often  lapsed  into  idolatry.  The 
reason  is  that  such  worship  is  in  itself  merely  idolatrous,  for 
the  external  is  what  is  worshiped  by  them.  [3]  The  Gentiles 
also  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  who  worshiped  Baal  and  other 
gods,  had  a  nearly  similar  external  worship ;  for  they  had  not 
only  temples  and  altars,  but  also  sacrifices ;  so  that  their  ex- 
ternal worship  differed  but  little  from  the  worship  of  the  Jews, 
except  that  they  gave  the  names  of  Baal,  Ashtaroth,  and  others, 
to  their  god ;  and  the  Jews  gave  to  him  the  name  Jehovah,  as 
is  the  case  also  at  this  day,  for  they  suppose  that  the  mere 
naming  of  Jehovah  will  make  them  holy  and  elect ;  when  yet 
this  has  tended  rather  to  condemn  them  more  than  others  ;  for 
in  this  way  they  have  been  able  to  profane  what  is  holy,  which 
the  Gentiles  cannot  do.  Such  worship  is  what  is  called 
"  Canaan,"  who  is  said  to  be  a  "  servant  of  servants."  That  a 
"  servant  of  servants"  denotes  the  vilest  thing  in  the  church, 
may  be  seen  in  the  following  verse. 

1095.  Verse  26.  And  he  said,  Blessed  be  Jehovah  the  God  of 
Shem  ;  and  Canaan  shall  be  his  servant.     "  Blessed  be  Jehovah 
the  God  of  Shem,"  signifies  every  good  for  those  who  worship 
the  Lord  from  internals ;  "  Shem,"   is  the   internal  church ; 
"  and  Canaan  shall  be  his  servant,"  signifies  that  such  as  make 
worship  consist  solely  in  externals  are  among  those  who  may 
perform  vile  services  to  the  men  of  the  church. 

1096.  Blessed  be  Jehovah  the  God  of  Shem.     That  this  sig- 
nifies every  good  for  those  who  worship  the  Lord  from  inter- 
nals, is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  blessed."     Blessing 
involves  every  good  :  celestial,  spiritual,  and  natural ;  and  all 
these  are  signified  by  "  blessing,"  in  the  internal  sense.     In 
the  external  sense,  by  "  blessing"  is  signified  every  worldly, 
corporeal,  and  earthly  good ;  but  these,  if  they  be  a  blessing, 
must  necessarily  be  so  from  internal  blessing ;  for  this  alone  is 
blessing,  because  it  is  eternal,  and  is  conjoined  with  every 
felicity,  and  is  the  very  being  of  blessings.     For  what  really  is, 


576  GENESIS  [N.  1096 

unless  it  is  eternal  ?  Every  other  being  ceases  to  be.  It  was 
customary  among  the  ancients  to  say,  "  Blessed  be  Jehovah ;" 
by  which  they  meant  that  from  Him  is  every  blessing,  that 
is,  every  good ;  and  the  same  was  also  a  formula  of  thanks- 
giving because  the  Lord  blesses,  and  has  blessed ;  as  in  David 
(Ps.  xxviii.  6 ;  xxxi.  21 ;  xli.  13 ;  Ixvi.  20 ;  Ixviii.  19, 35 ;  Ixxii. 
18,  19 ;  Ixxxix.  52 ;  cxix.  12 ;  cxxiv.  6 ;  cxxxv.  21 ;  cxliv.  1 ; 
and  many  other  places).  [2]  « Blessed  be  Jehovah"  is  said 
here  because  Shem,  or  the  internal  church,  is  the  subject  that 
is  being  treated  of,  which  church  is  said  to  be  internal,  from 
charity.  In  charity  the  Lord  is  present,  who  is  here  called 
"Jehovah  God."  But  He  is  not  so  called  in  the  external 
church,  for  although  the  Lord  is  present  in  it,  He  is  not  present 
as  He  is  in  the  man  of  the  internal  church.  For  the  man  of 
the  external  church  still  believes  that  he  does  the  goods  of 
charity  from  himself,  and  therefore  when  the  subject  treated 
of  is  the  man  of  the  external  church,  the  Lord  is  called  "  God," 
as  in  the  following  verse  concerning  Japheth :  "  God  shall  en- 
large Japheth."  That  every  good  is  the  portion  of  those  who 
worship  the  Lord  from  internals,  is  evident  also  from  the  order 
of  things ;  for  the  order  is  this  :  from  the  Lord  is  everything 
celestial,  from  the  celestial  is  everything  spiritual,  from  the 
spiritual  is  everything  natural.  This  is  the  order  of  the  coining 
forth  of  all  things,  and  therefore  it  is  the  order  of  influx.  [3] 
The  celestial  is  love  to  the  Lord  and  toward  the  neighbor. 
Where  there  is  no  love,  the  connection  is  broken,  and  the  Lord 
is  not  present,  who  flows  in  solely  through  the  celestial,  that 
is,  through  love.  When  there  is  no  celestial,  there  cannot 
possibly  be  any  spiritual,  because  everything  spiritual  is 
through  the  celestial  from  the  Lord.  The  spiritual  is  faith, 
and  therefore  there  is  no  faith  except  through  charity,  Dr  love, 
from  the  Lord.  It  is  similar  with  the  natural.  According  to 
this  same  order  do  all  goods  flow  in ;  from  which  it  follows 
that  those  have  every  good  who  worship  the  Lord  from  inter- 
nals, that  is,  from  charity ;  whereas  those  who  do  not  worship 
Him  from  charity  have  no  good,  save  such  as  counterfeits  what 
is  good,  but  in  itself  is  evil,  such  as  the  delight  of  hatreds  and 
adulteries,  which  regarded  in  itself  is  nothing  but  an  excre- 
mentitious  delight,  into  which  also  it  is  turned  in  the  other  life. 


M.  1097]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  26  577 

1097.  And  Canaan  shall  be  his  servant.  That  this  signi- 
fies that  such  as  make  worship  consist  solely  in  externals  are 
among  those  who  may  perform  vile  services  to  the  men  of  the 
church,  is  evident  especially  from  the  representatives  in  the 
Jewish  Church.  In  the  Jewish  Church  the  internal  church 
was  represented  by  Judah  and  Israel ;  by  Judah  the  celestial 
church,  by  Israel  the  spiritual  church,  and  by  Jacob  the  ex- 
ternal church.  But  those  who  made  worship  consist  solely  in 
externals  were  represented  by  the  Gentiles,  whom  they  called 
strangers,  and  who  were  their  servants,  and  performed  menial 
services  in  the  church.  As  in  Isaiah : — 

Strangers  shall  stand  and  feed  your  flock,  and  the  sons  of  the  stranger 
shall  be  your  plowmen  and  your  vine-dressers ;  but  ye  shall  be  called 
the  priests  of  Jehovah  ;  the  ministers  of  our  God  shall  ye  be  called  ;  ye 
shall  eat  the  wealth  of  the  Gentiles,  and  in  their  glory  shall  ye  boast 
yourselves  (Ixi.  5,  6). 

Here  celestial  men  are  called  the  "  priests  of  Jehovah,"  spirit- 
ual men  the  "  ministers  of  our  God ;"  those  who  make  worship 
consist  solely  in  externals  are  called  the  "  sons  of  the  stranger," 
who  should  serve  in  their  fields  and  vineyards.  [2]  Again  : — 

The  sons  of  the  stranger  shall  build  up  thy  walls,  and  their  kings  shall 
minister  unto  thee  (Ix.  10), 

where  in  like  manner  their  services  are  mentioned.  In 
Joshua  concerning  the  Gibeonites  : — 

Now  therefore  ye  are  cursed,  and  there  shall  not  be  cut  off  from  you 
a  servant,  both  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water  for  the  house  of 
my  God  ;  and  Joshua  made  them  that  day  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers 
of  water  for  the  congregation,  especially  for  the  altar  of  Jehovah  (ix.  23, 
27). 

It  may  be  seen  elsewhere  who  were  represented  by  the  Gib- 
eonites, because  of  the  covenant  made  with  them,  in  spite  of 
which  however  they  were  among  those  who  served  in  the 
church.  Concerning  strangers,  a  law  was  delivered,  that  if 
they  would  receive  peace  and  open  their  gates,  they  should  be 
tributary  and  serve  (Dent.  xxii. ;  1  Kings  ix.  21,  22).  Every- 
thing written  in  the  Word  concerning  the  Jewish  Church  was 
representative  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord.  The  kingdom  of 
the  Lord  is  such  that  every  one  in  it,  whosoever  and  whatso- 
ever he  may  be,  must  perform  some  use.  Nothing  but  use  is 
VOL.  I.— 37 


578  GENESIS  [N.  1097 

regarded  by  the  Lord  in  His  kingdom.  Even  the  internals 
must  perform  some  use,  but  the  uses  which  they  perform  are 
most  vile.  Among  those  who  in  the  other  life  perform  vile 
uses  are  those  who  have  had  merely  external  worship,  sepa- 
rated from  internal.  [3]  Moreover  the  representatives  in  the 
Jewish  Church  were  of  such  a  nature  that  there  was  no  thought 
about  the  person  that  represented,  but  only  about  the  thing 
represented  thereby ;  as  for  instance  in  the  case  of  the  Jews, 
who  were  by  no  means  celestial  men,  and  yet  represented  them ; 
and  Israel  again  was  by  no  means  a  spiritual  man,  yet  repre- 
sented him ;  and  so  it  was  with  Jacob  and  the  rest.  The  same 
was  the  case  with  the  kings  and  priests,  by  whom  was  repre- 
sented the  royalty  and  holiness  of  the  Lord.  This  is  very  evi- 
dent from  the  use  of  inanimate  things  for  representation,  as 
Aaron's  garments,  the  altar  itself,  the  tables  for  bread,  the 
lamps,  the  bread  and  wine,  besides  oxen,  bullocks,  goats,  sheep, 
kids,  lambs,  pigeons,  and  turtledoves.  And  because  the  sons 
of  Judah  and  Israel  only  represented  the  internal  and  external 
worship  of  the  Lord's  church,  and  yet  more  than  others  made 
all  worship  consist  in  externals,  they  above  all  others  may  be 
called  "  Canaan,"  according  to  his  signification  here. 

1098.  What  is  meant  by  "  Shem,"  and  what  by  "  Japheth," 
that  is,  who  is  a  man  of  the  internal  church,  and  who  is  a  man 
of  the  external  church ;  and  hence  what  is  meant  by  "  Canaan," 
will  be  evident  from  the  following  considerations.  The  man 
of  the  internal  church  attributes  to  the  Lord  all  the  good  that 
he  does,  and  all  the  truth  that  he  thinks ;  but  the  man  of  the 
external  church  does  not  know  how  to  do  this,  and  yet  does 
what  is  good.  The  man  of  the  internal  church  makes  the  wor- 
ship of  the  Lord  from  charity,  thus  internal  worship,  essential, 
and  external  worship  not  so  essential ;  but  the  man  of  the  ex- 
ternal church  makes  external  worship  essential,  and  does  not 
know  what  internal  worship  is,  although  he  has  it.  And  there- 
fore the  man  of  the  internal  church  believes  that  he  is  acting 
against  his  conscience  if  he  does  not  worship  the  Lord  from 
what  is  internal ;  while  the  man  of  the  external  church  be- 
lieves that  he  is  acting  against  his  conscience  if  he  does  not 
sacredly  observe  external  rites.  There  are  many  things  in  the 
conscience  of  the  man  of  the  internal  church,  because  he  knows 


N.  1098]  CHAPTER   IX.  VER.  26  579 

many  things  from  the  internal  sense  of  the  Word ;  but  there 
are  fewer  things  in  the  conscience  of  the  man  of  the  external 
church,  because  he  knows  few  things  from  the  internal  sense 
of  the  Word.  The  former,  that  is,  the  man  of  the  internal 
church,  is  he  who  is  called  "  Shem ;"  and  the  latter,  that  is, 
the  man  of  the  external  church,  is  he  who  is  called  "  Japh- 
eth."  But  he  who  makes  worship  consist  only  in  externals, 
and  has  no  charity,  consequently  no  conscience,  is  called 
"  Canaan." 

1099.  Verse  27.  May   God  enlarge  Japheth,  and  he  shall 
dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem  ;  and  Canaan  shall  be  his  servant. 
By  "  Japheth"  is  signified  as  before  a  corresponding  external 
church ;  "  May  God  enlarge  Japheth,"  signifies  its  enlighten- 
ment ;  "  and  he  shall  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem,"  signifies  in 
order  that  the  internals  of  worship  may  be  in  the  externals ; 
"  and  Canaan  shall  be  his  servant,"  signifies  here  as  before  that 
those  who  make  worship  consist  solely  in  externals  are  able  to 
perform  vile  services. 

1100.  That  by  "  Japheth"  is  signified  a  corresponding  ex- 
ternal church,  has  been  already  stated,  and  also  what  is  meant 
by  an  external  church,  namely,  external  worship,  and  thus 
those  who  do  not  know  what  the  internal  man  is,  nor  anything 
that  belongs  to  the  internal  man,  and  yet  live  in  charity.    With 
these  the  Lord  is  equally  present,  for  the  Lord  works  through 
charity,  wherever  charity  exists.     The  case  in  this  respect  is 
the  same  as  it  is  with  little  children,  with  whom,  although 
they  do  not  know  what  charity  is,  still  less  what  faith  is,  the 
Lord  is  nevertheless  much  more  present  than  with  adults,  es- 
pecially when  the  little  children  live  together  in  charity.    And 
the  case  is  the  same  with  the  simple  who  have  innocence, 
charity,  and  mercy.     It  is  utterly  useless  for  a  man  to  know 
many  things  if  he  does  not  live  according  to  what  he  knows. 
For  knowing  has  no  other  end  than  that  the  man  may  thereby 
become  good.     When  he  has  become  good,  he  has  much  more 
than  one  who  knows  innumerable  things  and  yet  is  not  good ; 
for  what  the  latter  seeks  by  much  knowledge,  the   former 
already  has.    Very  different  however  is  the  case  with  one  who 
knows  many  truths  and  goods,  and  at  the  same  time  has  char- 
ity and  conscience ;  for  such  a  one  is  a  man  of  the  internal 


580  GENESIS  [N.  1100 

church,  or  "  Shem."  Those  who  know  little  and  yet  have  con- 
science are  enlightened  in  the  other  life,  insomuch  that  they 
become  angels,  and  possess  wisdom  and  intelligence  inexpres- 
sible. These  are  signified  by  "  Japheth." 

1101.  May  God  enlarge  Japheth,  signifies  the  enlightenment 
of  this  church.     In  the  literal  sense  "to  enlarge"  is  to  extend 
the  boundaries,  but  in  the  internal  sense  it  is  to  be  enlightened ; 
for  enlightenment  is  the  enlargement,  as  it  were,  of  the  boun- 
daries of  wisdom  and  intelligence.     As  in  Isaiah : — 

Enlarge  the  place  of  thy  tent,  and  let  them  stretch  forth  the  curtains 
of  thine  habitations  (liv.  2), 

meaning  enlightenment  in  spiritual  things.  The  man  of  the 
external  church  is  "enlarged"  when  he  is  instructed  in  the 
truths  and  goods  of  faith ;  and  as  he  is  in  charity,  he  is  there- 
by more  and  more  confirmed ;  and  besides,  the  more  he  is  in- 
structed, the  more  is  the  cloud  of  his  intellectual  part  dis- 
persed— of  that  intellectual  part,  that  is  to  say,  in  which  are 
charity  and  conscience. 

1102.  And  he  shall  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem.     That  this 
signifies  in  order  that  the  internals  of  worship  may  be  in  the 
externals,  is  evident  from  all  that  has  been  said  before  con- 
cerning Shem,  namely,  that  "  Shem"  is  the  internal  church,  or 
internal  worship,  and  that  external  worship  is  nothing  but  an 
inanimate  affair,  or  else  an  unclean  one,  unless  there  is  internal 
worship  to  vivify  and  hallow  it.     That  the  "tents"  signify 
nothing  else  than  what  is  holy  of  love,  and  the  derivative  wor- 
ship, is  evident  from  the  signification  of  "  tents"  (concerning 
which,  see  above,  n.  414).    It  was  customary  among  the  ancients 
to  speak  of  "journeying"  and  "dwelling  in  tents,"  by  which 
was  signified  in  the  internal  sense  holy  worship,  for  the  reason 
that  the  most  ancient  people  not  only  journeyed  with  tents,  but 
also  dwelt  in  tents,  and  performed  their  holy  worship  in  them. 
Hence  also  "to  journey"  and  "  to  dwell"  signified  in  the  inter- 
nal sense  to  live.     [2]  That  "  tents"  signify  holy  worship,  the 
following  passages — in  addition  to  those  before  cited  (n.  414) 
— may  serve  for  confirmation.     In  David  :  — 

God  forsook  the  taoernacle  of  Shiloh,  the  tent  in  which  He  dwelt  in 
man  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  60), 


N.  1102]  CHAPTER  IX.  VER.  27  581 

where  "  tent"  signifies  the  same  as  "  temple,"  in  which  God  is 
said  to  "  dwell"  when  He  is  present  with  man  in  love.  Hence 
the  man  who  lived  in  holy  worship,  was  called  by  the  ancients 
a  tent,  and  afterwards  a  temple.  In  Isaiah : — 

Enlarge  the  place  of  thy  tent,  and  let  them  stretch  forth  the  curtains 
of  thine  habitations  (liv.  2), 

meaning  enlightenment  in  those  things  which  are  of  true  wor- 
ship. In  Jeremiah  : — 

The  whole  land  is  laid  waste,  suddenly  have  My  tents  been  laid  waste, 
and  My  curtains  in  a  moment  (iv.  20), 

where  it  is  very  manifest  that  tents  are  not  meant,  but  holy 
worship.  In  Zechariah  : — 

Jerusalem  shall  yet  again  dwell  in  her  own  place,  even  in  Jerusalem. 
Jehovah  also  shall  save  the  tents  of  Judah  (xii.  6,  7), 

where  the  "  tents  of  Judah"  stand  for  the  worship  of  the  Lord 
from  the  holy  of  loye.  [3]  From  these  passages  it  is  now  evi- 
dent what  it  is  "  to  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem,"  namely,  that 
internal  worship  is  in  external.  But  because  the  man  Japheth, 
or  the  man  of  the  external  church,  does  not  well  know  what 
internal  things  are,  this  shall  be  briefly  told.  When  a  man 
feels  or  perceives  in  himself  that  he  has  good  thoughts  con- 
cerning the  Lord,  and  that  he  has  good  thoughts  concerning  the 
neighbor,  and  desires  to  perform  kind  offices  for  him,  not  for 
the  sake  of  any  gain  or  honor  for  himself ;  and  when  he  feels 
that  he  has  pity  for  any  one  who  is  in  trouble,  and  still  more  for 
one  who  is  in  error  in  respect  to  the  doctrine  of  faith,  then  he 
may  know  that  he  dwells  in  the  tents  of  Shem,  that  is,  that  he 
has  internal  things  in  him  through  which  the  Lord  is  working. 
1103.  And  Canaan  shall  be  his  servant.  That  this  signifies 
that  those  who  make  worship  consist  solely  in  externals  are 
able  to  perform  vile  offices,  is  evident  from  what  has  been  said 
above,  under  the  preceding  verses  (25,  26),  about  Canaan,  as 
being  a  servant.  Such  men  are  not  indeed  servants  in  the 
church  of  the  Lord  on  earth,  for  there  are  many  of  them  who 
hold  high  stations,  and  who  are  set  over  all  others,  who  do 
nothing  from  charity  and  conscience,  and  yet  observe  with 
much  strictness  the  externals  of  the  church,  and  even  condemn 


582  GENESIS  [N.  1103 

those  who  do  not  observe  them.  But  such  persons,  because 
they  are  in  no  charity  and  conscience,  and  make  worship  con- 
sist solely  in  externals  without  internals,  are  servants  in  the 
kingdom  of  the  Lord,  that  is,  in  the  other  life ;  for  they  are 
among  the  unhappy.  The  services  which  they  there  perform 
are  vile,  and  are  so  many  that  they  cannot  be  well  set  forth 
here,  but  of  the  Divine  mercy  of  the  Lord  will  be  described 
hereafter.  For  in  the  other  life  every  one  without  exception 
must  perform  some  use,  because  man  is  born  for  no  other  end 
than  that  he  may  perform  use  to  the  society  in  which  he  is  and 
to  the  neighbor,  while  he  lives  in  the  world,  and  in  the  other  life 
according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  the  Lord.  The  case  in  this 
respect  is  the  same  as  it  is  in  the  human  body,  every  part  of 
which  must  perform  some  use,  even  things  which  in  themselves 
are  of  no  value,  such  as  humors  which  in  themselves  are  excre- 
mentitious,  as  are  the  many  salival  fluids,  the  biles,  and  other 
secretions,  which  must  be  of  service  not  only  to  the  food,  but 
in  separating  the  excrements  and  purging  the  intestines.  Such 
also  are  the  uses  of  manure  and  dung  in  the  fields  and  vine- 
yards ;  and  many  other  such  things. 

1104.  Verses  28,  29.  And  Noah  lived  after  the  flood  three 
hundred  and  fifty  years  ;  and  all  the  days  of  Noah  were  nine 
hundred  and  fifty  years  ;  and  he  died.     These  words  signify 
the  duration  of  the  first  Ancient  Church,  and  at  the  same  time 
its  state. 

1105.  That  these  things  are  signified  is  sufficiently  evident 
from  what  has  been  said  before  concerning  numbers  and  years 
(see  n.  482,  487,  488,  493,  575,  647,  648). 


CONCERNING    VASTATIONS. 

1106.  There  are  many  persons  who  during  their  life  in  this 
world  from  simplicity  and  ignorance  have  imbibed  falsities  of 
religious  belief,  and  yet  have  had  a  kind  of  conscience  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  principles  of  their  faith,  and  have  not  like 
others  lived  in  hatred,  revenge,  and  adultery.  In  the  other 
life  these  Dersons  cannot  be  introduced  into  heavenly  societies 


N.  1106]  VASTATIONS  583 

so  long  as  they  remain  in  these  falsities,  for  they  would  con- 
taminate them ;  and  they  are  therefore  kept  for  a  time  in  the 
lower  earth,  in  order  that  they  may  get  rid  of  their  false  prin- 
ciples. The  time  that  they  remain  there  is  longer  or  shorter 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  falsity,  and  the  life  contracted 
thereby,  and  according  to  the  degree  in  which  they  have  con- 
firmed themselves  in  their  principles.  Some  suffer  there  se- 
verely, others  not  severely.  These  sufferings  are  wkat  are 
called  Vastations,  of  which  there  is  frequent  mention  in  the 
Word.*  When  the  period  of  vastation  is  completed,  they  are 
taken  up  into  heaven,  and  as  new  comers  are  instructed  in  the 
truths  of  faith,  and  this  by  the  angels  by  whom  they  are  re- 
ceived. 

1107.  There  are  some  who  are  very  willing  to  be  vastated 
and  thus  get  rid  of   the  false  principles   which   they  have 
brought  with  them  from  the  world.     (No  one  can  get  rid  of 
his  false  principles  in  the  other  life  except  by  the  lapse  of 
time  and  by  means  provided  by  the  Lord.)     While  these  per- 
sons remain  in  the  lower  earth,  they  are  kept  by  the  Lord  in 
the  hope  of  deliverance,  and  in  the  thought  of  the  end  in 
view,  which  is  that  they  may  be  amended  and  prepared  to  re- 
ceive heavenly  happiness. 

1108.  Some  are  kept  in  a  middle  state  between  sleep  and 
waking,  and  think  very  little,  except  when  they  as  it  were  awake 
— which  takes  place  by  alternations — and  then  they  remember 
what  they  had  thought  and  done  in  the  life  of  the  body,  and 
again  they  relapse  into  the  middle  state  between  being  awake 
and  being  asleep.     In  this  way  these  are  vastated.     They  are 
under  the  left  foot,  a  little  in  front. 

1109.  Those  who  have  fully  confirmed  themselves  in  false 
principles  are  reduced  to  complete   ignorance,  and  then  they 
are  in  obscurity  and  confusion,  so  that  when  they  merely  think 
of  the  things  in  which  they  have  confirmed  themselves,  they 
have  inward  pain.     But  after  some  time  has  passed,  they  are 
as  it  were  created  anew,  and  are  imbued  with  the  truths  of 
faith. 

1110.  Those  who  have  assumed  righteousness  and  merit  on 
account  of  their  good  works,  and  so  have   attributed  the  eifi- 

*  Vastation  in  the  Latin  is  the  same  word  as  wasting  or  laying  waste.     [REVISER.] 


584  GENESIS  [N.  1110 

cacy  of  salvation  to  themselves,  and  not  to  the  Lord  and  His 
righteousness  and  merit,  and  have  confirmed  themselves  in 
this  in  thought  and  in  life,  in  the  other  world  have  their  prin- 
ciples of  falsity  turned  into  phantasies,  so  that  they  seem  to 
themselves  to  be  hewing  wood :  this  is  exactly  as  it  appears 
to  them.  I  have  spoken  with  them.  When  they  are  engaged 
in  their  labor,  and  are  asked  whether  they  are  not  fatigued, 
they  reply  that  they  have  not  yet  accomplished  enough  work 
to  be  able  to  merit  heaven.  When  they  are  hewing  the  wood 
there  appears  to  be  something  of  the  Lord  under  the  wood, 
thus  as  if  the  wood  were  merit  that  they  are  getting.  The 
more  of  the  Lord  there  appears  in  the  wood,  the  longer  they 
remain  in  this  condition ;  but  when  that  appearance  begins  to 
cease,  their  vastation  is  drawing  to  an  end.  At  length  they 
become  such  that  they  too  can  be  admitted  into  good  societies, 
but  still  they  long  fluctuate  between  truth  and  falsity.  Great 
care  is  taken  of  them  by  the  Lord,  because  they  have  lived  a 
dutiful  life,  and  He  from  time  to  time  sends  angels  to  them. 
These  are  they  who  in  the  Jewish  Church  were  represented  by 
the  hewers  of  wood  (Josh.  ix.  23,  27). 

1111.  Those  who  have  lived  a  good  civic  and  moral  life, 
but  have  persuaded  themselves  that  they  merit  heaven  by  their 
works,  and  have  believed  that  it  is  sufficient  to  acknowledge 
an  only  G-od  as  the  Creator  of  the  universe,  in  the  other  life 
have  their  false  principles  turned  into  such  phantasies  that 
they  seem  to  themselves  to  be  cutting  grass,  and  are  called 
grass-cutters.  They  are  cold,  and  try  to  warm  themselves  by 
this  cutting.  Sometimes  they  go  round  and  inquire  among 
those  whom  they  meet  whether  they  will  give  them  some  heat, 
which  indeed  spirits  can  do,  but  the  heat  which  they  receive 
has  no  effect  upon  them,  because  it  is  external  and  what  they 
want  is  internal  heat ;  and  therefore  they  return  to  their  cut- 
ting, and  thus  gain  heat  by  their  labor.  Their  cold  I  have  felt. 
They  are  always  hoping  to  be  taken  up  into  heaven,  and  some- 
times consult  together  how  they  may  introduce  themselves  by 
their  own  power.  As  these  persons  have  performed  good 
works,  they  are  among  those  who  are  vastated  ;  and  at  length, 
after  some  time  has  passed,  they  are  introduced  into  good  so- 
cieties, and  are  instructed. 


N.  1112]  VASTATIONS  585 

1112.  Those  however  who   have  been  in  the  goods  and 
truths  of  faith,  and  have  gained  therefrom  a  conscience  and  a 
life  of  charity,  are  taken  up  by  the  Lord  into  heaven  imme- 
diately after  death. 

1113.  There  are  girls  who  have  been  enticed  into  harlotry, 
and  thus  persuaded  that  there  is  no  evil  in  it,  being  in  other 
respects  rightly  disposed.     These,  because  they  are  not  yet  of 
an  age  to  be  able  to  know  and  judge  concerning  such  a  life, 
have  an  instmctor  with  them,  quite  severe,  who  chastises  them 
whenever  in  thought  they  break  out  into  such  wantonness. 
Of  him  they  are  in  great  fear,  and  in  this  way  are  vastated. 
But   adult  women  who  have  been  harlots  and  have  enticed 
other  women,  do  not  undergo  vastation,  but  are  in  hell. 


END    OF    VOL.    L 


PRINTED   IN   U.   S.  A.   BY  THE   HADDON   CRAFTSMEN,   INC. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


30112004455967 


